Mystery nudibranch
May 14, 2001
From: Melanie
I found about 5 of these critters in my reef tank. They look like they may be babies and
have a light pink body with 10 to 12 iridescent spikes on top. Do you know if they are reef safe?
I have not bought any live rock for several months - but most of my live rock is from Fiji. I have several smaller ones also that dont have any color yet. I think they are breeding in my tank. But I don't know where they are coming from. I don't see any
large ones just tiny ones
Melanie
zildjian@northcoast.com
Melanie, 2001 (May 14) Mystery nudibranch. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4309Dear Melanie,
It certainly looks like this animal is breeding in your aquarium. It is an aeolid nudibranch. Aeolids feed on cnidarians (sea anemones, hydroids, corals, soft-corals) but each species feeds on only one or a few species of cnidarian. This animal must have arrived in your aquarium as a very small juvenile, probably on its prey, and been quietly nibbling away at something in your aquarium. If you are now seeing smaller uncoloured specimens I suspect that your aeolid is now into a second generation. The two most likely prey items that they are feeding on would be a soft-coral or a hard coral. If you have either, have a look for egg masses. They will either be a sausage-shaped, jelly-like sac containing lots of small white eggs, or else a spirally coiled ribbon. Have a look at the page on Coral-feeding nudibranchs for an idea of what you are looking for. It is possible that the eggs will be under the colony.
What should you do with them? My biased opinion would be to leave them and see what happens. Alternatively perhaps you can try and find what they are eating by looking for egg ribbons and more animals. Uusually they will be living on their food. If you do find some sign of them, have a look at what damage they are doing, and if it is not enormous perhaps you should just leave them be. The first step though is to see if you can discover what they are doing yourself. I suspect they are a coral feeder but they don't look like any species I am familiar with.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
Related messages
-
Elysia sp. from the Seychelles
From: David K. A. Barnes, August 27, 2007 -
Glaucid sp. from NE Bali, Indonesia
From: Lindsay Warren, July 12, 2007 -
An Aeolid from the Gulf of Oman
From: Dragan Petkovic, July 5, 2007 -
Phyllodesmium sp? from Lembeh Strait
From: Mike Krampf, February 17, 2007 -
Master of camouflage - unknown aeolid
From: Erwin Kodiat, January 4, 2007 -
Chromodorid from Indonesia
From: Ann Clear, December 21, 2006 -
Unknown nembrothid from Indonesia
From: Ann Clear, December 20, 2006 -
Re: Mystery from the Philippines - final word
From: Scott Johnson, December 13, 2006 -
Re: Mystery from the Philippines
From: Philip Cromwell, December 12, 2006 -
Mystery from the Philippines
From: Lara Henry, December 12, 2006 -
Mystery from the Philippines
From: Gaetan White, December 8, 2006 -
Rostanga from Sri Lanka
From: Marina Poddubetskaia, March 12, 2005 -
Nembrotha from Malaysia
From: Isabelle Drouet, February 26, 2004 -
Favorinus? from sth Queensland
From: Gary Cobb, February 11, 2004 -
Unknown Nudi found in the Red Sea
From: Jason Bell, February 4, 2003 -
Hoplodoris? from Egyptian Red Sea
From: Jason Bell, January 31, 2003 -
Phyllidiella zeylanica? from Indian Ocean
From: Marina Poddubetskaia , November 16, 2002 -
Aeolid from Thailand
From: Erwin Koehler, October 23, 2002 -
Elysiids from Indonesia
From: Erwin Koehler, October 21, 2002 -
Re: Elysiid from the Red Sea
From: Erwin Koehler, October 3, 2002 -
An unknown aeolid from Bali
From: Rika Nozoe, October 3, 2002 -
Phyllidia melanocera? from Egypt (2)
From: Michael Mrutzek, September 30, 2002 -
Phyllidia melanocera? from Red Sea
From: Michael Mrutzek, September 28, 2002 -
Need help identifying
From: Sabine Noack, September 18, 2002 -
Dermatobranchus from aquarium
From: Christel Theate, September 18, 2002 -
Aeolid from the Philippines
From: Erwin Koehler, July 30, 2002 -
Eolid from Enewetak, Marshall Islands
From: Scott Johnson, July 18, 2002 -
Strange dorid from Hachijo Island, Japan
From: Shouichi Kato, May 3, 2002 -
Cephalaspidean from the Philippines
From: Erwin Koehler, May 3, 2002 -
Another deepwater slug from Hawaii
From: Dr. Christopher Kelley, May 2, 2002 -
Aeolid from the Philippines (2)
From: Erwin Koehler, April 30, 2002 -
Elysiid from the Red Sea
From: Erwin Koehler, March 12, 2002 -
Elysia from Queensland
From: Alison Smith, February 24, 2002 -
Chromodorid 'conference' in Indonesia
From: Stuart Hutchison, December 22, 2001 -
Unknown sponge feeder
From: Jim Cruise, October 2, 2001 -
Flabellina from the Philippines
From: Erwin Koehler, August 10, 2001 -
Yellow aeolid on hydroid
From: Tony Wu, April 12, 2001 -
Need help ID this nudibranch/slug
From: Planoi, January 1, 2001 -
Need help ID an sea slug/nudibranch?
From: Win, December 30, 2000 -
Elysia or Thuridilla from Coral Sea
From: Des Paroz, October 22, 2000 -
What is this?
From: Mary Jane Adams, June 17, 2000 -
Aeolid from Papua New Guinea
From: Ray Izumi, May 12, 2000