Are Keyhole Limpets eating my acros?

[Acroconut]

I recently removed 2 fairly large Keyhole Limpets from my nano tank after finding them in the vicinity of acros that were showing tissue damage at their edges. I do not have at present any nuisance algae for the limpets to feed on, but I have found the outer surface of a couple of my acros with the tissue polished off and the Limpets could be seen nearby. I hate to destroy things unnecessarily, but I hate seeing my acros missing tissue even though they do seem to eventually recover. Has anyone else had this happen?

 

[Ron Reefman]

IMHO, very unlikely. I've had a variety of limpets in my tanks for years (collected in the Florida Keys). They have never caused any issues.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

As mentioned, it's unlikely.

Currently, I have only found one confirmed case of a keyhole limpet (Diodora galeata) eating SPS flesh, so it is possible, but - by all accounts that I can find - you'd be quite unlucky to get a true, SPS-eating limpet.

"Recent observations were made in the field of D. galeata occurring on and apparently consum-ing the tissue of three pocilloporid corals: Pocillopora damicornis, P. verrucosa (Fig. 1b, c) and Stylophora pistillata."*

*Source:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230604777_Evidence_of_corallivory_by_the_keyhole_limpet_Diodora_galeata