Hypselodoris ruthae from Connecticut?

November 19, 2003
From: Dan Huber

Hello,
First time I'm posting here, just found your page. I have recently started (3 weeks) a 55 gallon SW tank now cycled with 33 pounds Live rock and am constantly finding new critters on the rocks. My wife found what looks like a sea slug this morning. I'm still building a collection of books to ID my multiple species of inverts, so I don't know how to go about finding out more about this little fella, is he dangerous, good, how to feed, etc.
Let me describe:
~1cm long, black and white stripes length wise, two head ?eyestalks and on the rear what looks like the fan of a fanworm in black and white.
tough to get a good pic, as he dissappeared.

Thanks for any help.
Dan
Vernon, CT, USA

docforestal@comcast.net

Huber, D., 2003 (Nov 19) Hypselodoris ruthae from Connecticut?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11375

Dear Dan,
I see you are from Connecticut. Did you personally collect your live rock in Connecticut? Why I ask is that your nudibranch is Hypselodoris ruthae a species which we know very little about. It is known from the Caribbean and as far north as Florida, so if you collected your animal in Connecticut,, it is quite a bit furtjer north than it has previously been reported. What can I tell you about it? We know very little about its biology and what you see on messages on the Forum is probably all we know. From Linda Ianiello's messages it feeds on a blue sponge, possibly Dysidea janiae. I suspect your live rock may have had a bit of this sponge, or perhaps another food sponge of this species, which has allowed the slug to grow in your aquarium. Whether it has eaten out its only source of food I couldn't say but it is a possibility. Perhaps you should should try and find a sponge looking like the one in Linda's photos for your slug.
If you can confirm where your live rock is from it would be a valuable bit of information
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Nov 19). Comment on Hypselodoris ruthae from Connecticut? by Dan Huber. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11375

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