What sort of slug is it?

November 30, 2001
From: Chris

hi can you please help me,

About a week ago I found a slug at Swansea (NSW, Australia) I put it in my saltwater tank and it died a few days later and the tank began to smell and the fish acted as though something was attacking their skin, and gulped lots of water.

Slug was about 2cm round and it was a fluro orange see through blob. but when it was put down it began to open and move on one side it had like a feathered shaped thing. After looking around the web I found what it sort of looks like. It has a resemblance to Pleurobranchus forskalii (Ruppell & Leuckart, 1828) [Order: NOTASPIDEA; Family: Pleurobranchidae]

But its back was smooth like jelly. Is it poisonous? I'm still standing after touching it but is it toxic to other tank mates.
Thanks in advance
chris

chris@startcomputing.com.au

Chris, 2001 (Nov 30) What sort of slug is it?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5751

Dear Chris,
Forom you description think your animal was Berthellina citrina which is related to Pleurobranchus forskalii. They are both pleurobranchs, which are sometimes called Side-gilled slugs because they have their gill (the feather shaped thing in your description) on the right side of the body.

Is it poisonous? If you look at the Defensive Glands Page, you will find a photo of the skin of Berthellina citrina showing the white acid glands it has in its skin. They certainly are nasty to taste so I guess fish wouldn't be that happy swimming around in the secretions. You mention the fish were gasping etc. I suspect that may have been a combination of any skin gland secretions and from the decay normally associated with dead and dying animals. Nudibranchs and other sea slugs with relatively thin skins tend to decay quite rapidly, and once the body wall rots away the rotting internal viscera and associated digestive enzymes etc escape into the surrounding water - not a pleasant environment for fish and other living creatures. It's always a good idea to remove sick and dead animals and plants from an aquarium. Even those that aren't poisonous or toxic when alive, rapidly become so when they begin to decompose.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Nov 30). Comment on What sort of slug is it? by Chris. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5751

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