Bryopsis - who eats this algae?
Various sacoglossans have been reported to feed on the filamentous green alga Bryopsis. Here are messages specifically on this topic. Use the SEARCH button on the menu bar at the top of the page for further references to Bryopsis.
Authorship detailsRudman, W.B., 2001 (January 30) Bryopsis - who eats this algae?. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/bryopsis
Related messages
Sea slugs are reproducing in my reef tank
March 31, 2001
From: Matt Woodworth
In a perfect world you would participate in this thread. http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=18726
However, I understand that you probably don't have time to write on these boards so I'll put my question here too. Sea slugs are reproducing in my 75g reef tank. The tank is two months old. They are normally found on the glass. They might eat hair algae. Sometimes they are green (as pictured) and sometimes they are white. They are about .75 cm long.
What should I do? Is it possible that I have hair algae-eating sea slugs or am I kidding myself? Should I keep pulling them from my tank? Sometimes I pull about 10 per day.
Matt Woodworth
woodworth@acm.org
Woodworth, M., 2001 (Mar 31) Sea slugs are reproducing in my reef tank. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4046Dear Matt,
I am not sure what your problem is. Most aquarium keepers are looking at ways of removing green algae from their tanks. Looking at your photos I am not sure if your have one or two species of sea slug. They look like sacoglossans of some sort, perhaps Stiliger and Elysia? but I am not sure. Have a look at some of the species listed in the Species List under the ORDER SACOGLOSSA. That will give you an idea of the variety of shape you may find in different species.
If you have slugs breeding in your aquarium I think you should be please that your system is in some sort of natural equilibrium. I doubt if the algae will be totally eaten out by your green slugs and they may in fact keep the algal film from growing on the glass. My advice would be to leave the slugs alone, don't remove them, and just see what happens. If they do start to eat more algae than you want them to, then cull some of the population then. it is possible you have one of the sacoglossans which are 'Solar powered'. Read about them on the Solar-powered page. If so, it is unlikely they will need to eat all your algae.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: What eats Bryopsis?
February 1, 2001
From: Cynthia Trowbridge
Dear Bill,
Regarding Steve Wheeler's query:
As you know, many sacoglossans eat Bryopsis. I would suggest that perhaps readers refer to the recent review by Sue Williams and Di Walker. In one of their detailed tables, they summarize the known diets of sacoglossans from around the world. Regarding the query from the UK, it was not clear to me whether the aquarium was a tropical or temperate one. If the latter, the two UK species that come to mind are Elysia viridis and Placida dendritica. My experience with Bryopsis feeders, however, in lab experiments is that they consume the alga so fast that it is difficult to supply them with adequate food so they would soon starve to death.
Reference:
Williams, S.I. & Walker, D.I. (1999) Mesoherbivore-macroalgal interactions: feeding ecology of sacoglossan sea slugs (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia) and their effects on their food algae. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev., 37: 87-128
Cordially,
Cynthia
trowbric@ucs.orst.edu
Trowbridge, C., 2001 (Feb 1) Re: What eats Bryopsis?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3670Thanks Cynthia,
Bill Rudman
Re: Feeding on Bryopsis
February 1, 2001
From: Jeff Goddard
Hi Bill
Regarding Steve Wheeler's query about British sea slug predators of Bryopsis: According to T.E. Thompson (1976), the British sacoglossans Placida dendritica and Limapontia capitata will eat it. I have found the former feeding on Bryopsis corticulans in California and Oregon. It is possible (and already known?) that Elysia viridis from Britain feed on Bryopsis.
Best Wishes,
Jeff
goddard@lifesci.ucsb.edu
Goddard, J., 2001 (Feb 1) Re: Feeding on Bryopsis. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3673Thanks Jeff,
What eats Bryopsis?
January 31, 2001
From: Steve Wheeler
Hi
I have a bad dose of Bryopsis growing on all of my Live Rock and no one here in the UK knows of anything that will eat it. Having read some of your articles on the Elysia species of Sea Slugs, it would appear that they eat Bryopsis.
I do not wish to appear cynical, but has anyone got first hand expereince of these guys actually eating the Bryopsis? I would rather check first than buy one of these magnificent creatures and have it slowly starve to death.
Many thanks,
Steve Wheeler
Manchester, UK.
stephen_wheeler@candle.com
Wheeler, S., 2001 (Jan 31) What eats Bryopsis?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3500Dear Steve,
You are wise to treat what you read on the world wide web with caution. There is a lot of unsourced rubbish around. Most information on the Forum has references to scientific publications or is the first hand accounts of the professional biologists and interested amateurs who participate. With over 500 vistors a day, most errors or disagreements surface within a day or two of them appearing on the Forum. It is a fairly rigorous form of peer review.
Now to your question. Have a look at my answer to the identical question sent in some time ago. Basically sea slugs are fussy eaters, most species eating only one or a few food items. Nudibranchs are all carnivorous so you will need to find a herbivorous sacoglossan, like a species of Elysia, or perhaps a Sea Hare. Getting the right one could be difficult. Another possibility would be to find a grazing herbivorous snail - even one from the local sea shore might fit the bill. However you will need to consult books on your local fauna to find something suitable.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: What eats Bryopsis?
August 17, 2000
From: Mauro Basiaco
Thanks for the help Bill.
Now all I have to do is get hold of one or two of the rather beautiful animals. I live in Canberra and that makes a trip to the Barrier Reef a little difficult. Looks like I will have to get hold of the appropriate permit and go for a holliday there. If you know of anyone who could put a couple of the slugs in a bag and have them sent by courier to me I will pay for them.
Regards
Mauro
mauro.basiaco@marconi.com.au
Basiaco, M., 2000 (Aug 17) Re: What eats Bryopsis?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2893Dear Mauro,
If you are looking for something to keep the algae down there are always herbivorous snails like Scutus or a Sea Hare, which can be found on the New South Wales coast. There are also herbivorous fish but I can't give you any advice on suitable aquarium species.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
What eats Bryopsis?
August 16, 2000
From: Mauro Basiaco
I need some help. I have a tropical marine reef fish tank that is suffering from an infestation of Bryopsis. I need to get hold of ANY creature that will eat the stuff. If you know of anything in Australian waters that does eat it please let me know.
My corals and I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks
Mauro
mauro.basiaco@marconi.com.au
Basiaco, M., 2000 (Aug 16) What eats Bryopsis?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2877Dear Mauroa,
If you use the SEARCH button at the top of each page, or in the yellow bar above you message, you will find references to a number of animals eating Bryopsis. They are all sacoglossan sea slugs of the genus Elysia.
The only one I know from Australian waters is Elysia ornata, but it is possible Elysia rufescens is also found in tropical Australia. It is also possible that other species of Elysia would eat Bryopsis as well. If you let me know where you live in Australia I could suggest some species which would be worth a try, and where to find them.
Other possibilities would be herbivorous snails such as the cowry Cypraea annulus or a limpet, but what algae various snails eat is outside my field of expertise.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
