Black Slug? in aquarium

December 7, 2002
From: Durwin Gin

I spotted a black blob in the crevice of one of my live rocks soon after the lights came on. A few moments later, I came back to find that it had moved and was crawling around on the sand and rocks (looking for cover, I believe). It was all black, had two antennae in front that pointed up, the sides rippled a bit, and it had a ball-like thing near the rear (the ball looked like a closed flower bulb). It was about 3" long and almost 1" wide. Any ideas?
Durwin Gin

durwingin@yahoo.com

Dear Durwin,
It always helps if you can give me some idea in the world where your mystery may have come from. From your description, it is most likely to be a dorid nudibranch called Dendrodoris nigra. If I am right, the 'flower bulb' would be its gills. Dendrodoris nigra could have arrived on a piece of 'live rock' which may have had the right food sponge growing in a crevice. I can't imagine it doing any damage in your aquarium but I'm afraid its chances of survival aren't good once it runs out of its favourite sponge
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Dec 7). Comment on Black Slug? in aquarium by Durwin Gin. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8599

Factsheet

Dendrodoris nigra

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