Nudibranch ID help

July 9, 2002
From: Edgar Valencia-Morales

Dear Sirs
I live in Mexico, and I have a 450 liters tank. Last saturday I found this guy crawling in my tank. I sent a picture to reefcentral (I'm sending you 3) and Dr Ron Shimek told me it should be a dorid nudibranch and he also told me to contact this forum hoping you can give me more info about him.

His size is 1.5 cms, and this guys should've been in my tank for at least 8 months, since I haven't introduced new live rock or corals in which he might have arrived. I have no idea about what he could've been eating all this time. Dr Shimek told me he might eat sponges, Bryozoans or tunicates. I think sponges might be the best choice cause I have some encrusting sponges and have not seen either tunicates or bryozoans in my tank.
Hope you can help me
Best regards
Edgar

edgar@cifn.unam.mx

Valencia-Morales, E., 2002 (Jul 9) Nudibranch ID help. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7431

Dear Edgar,
Your animal is an arminid, almost certainly a species of Dermatobranchus. If you go to the Species List you will find a variety of species of Dermatobranchus and Armina to give you an idea of their shape and biology. As far as we know species of Dermatobranchus feed on soft corals. It is possible there are/were some small soft coral colonies hidden in your 'live rock'.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Jul 9). Comment on Nudibranch ID help by Edgar Valencia-Morales. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7431

Factsheet

Unidentified - East Pacific (Central and South America)

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