Food of Hypselodoris picta

April 3, 2001
From: Shawna

I have just identified a nudibranch I just bought from the Sea Slug Forum. He looks exactly like your picture (deep blue with yellow). I also was told that he eats algae. From all my reading here, I guess it's safe to assume that he also eats sponges. So what do I do from here on out to try to keep this species alive? The lfs had him for almost 3 weeks before I bought him. They were supposedly feeding him invert food and algae.
Shawna

d.ns@gte.net

Shawna, 2001 (Apr 3) Food of Hypselodoris picta. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4089

Dear Shawna,
It's safe to assume that your slug eats sponges but its not safe to assume it 'also eats sponges' which suggests it eats something else (sea weed?) as well. Nudibranchs, including all dorids, are carnivorous and their digestive system and its enzymes are designed to eat animal matter not plant material.

If the people you bought it from say it eats 'invertebrate food and algae' they clearly don't know what they are talking about, or else are misleading you. it looks like you went to the same shop as Mark Bass who has been asking the same questions. With luck he wil be able to get some photos of the sponge this species feeds on. This will not be much help for your starving animal but will at least showpotential buyers what it actually eats.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Apr 3). Comment on Food of Hypselodoris picta by Shawna. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4089

Factsheet

Hypselodoris picta

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