Dangerous Nudibranch?

Marquiseo · Dec 21, 2013

I just found a hitchhiker in my tank. I am not sure where it came from but I do know it is a nudibranch. I am not sure how long it has been there. I thought it was a closed orange zoanthid until I saw it move.

Tahoe61 · Dec 21, 2013

It looks like a zoanthid because that is what it eats, mostly likely not reef safe.

Marquiseo · Dec 21, 2013

Tahoe61 said:
It looks like a zoanthid because that is what it eats.

d.a.m.n.

Usatennisfan · Dec 21, 2013

When it doubt throw it out.

Marquiseo · Dec 21, 2013

Usatennisfan said:
When it doubt throw it out.

I don't think that applies to everything.

Rob&Gab · Dec 21, 2013

dang bro thats a nice look nudi. sell him to someone. dont throw it out. im sure there's someone that would want it locally.

Marquiseo · Dec 21, 2013

Rob&Gab said:
dang bro thats a nice look nudi. sell him to someone. dont throw it out. im sure there's someone that would want it locally.

Yeah I know. It's nice. I sorta want to to keep it no matter what.

Closer images. Also, is it possible that it could have been in my Caribsea Hawaiian Black sand that I just added to the tank?

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Marquiseo · Dec 21, 2013

Could it be this?

tuna_bullet · Dec 21, 2013

he is bad what did you have that was red?

Marquiseo · Dec 21, 2013

tuna_bullet said:
he is bad what did you have that was red?

It's orange. I have some orange zoas. All the polyps are accounted for with each zoa frag and none are closed.

tuna_bullet · Dec 21, 2013

he does not look good....if you tempt him you will have a thousand they lay eggs very fast and are crazy aggressive, and hard to get rid of, trust me you don't want the headache....my .02

Marquiseo · Dec 21, 2013

tuna_bullet said:
he does not look good....if you tempt him you will have a thousand they lay eggs very fast and are crazy aggressive, and hard to get rid of, trust me you don't want the headache....my .02

It is just one. It would need another one to produce eggs. I spotted that one because I had just blue LEDs on and it illuminated vastly.

tuna_bullet · Dec 21, 2013

they don't need a pair one can spawn especially a adult like that one

Marquiseo · Dec 21, 2013

tuna_bullet said:
they don't need a pair one can spawn especially a adult like that one

I looked for a study to support that it reproduces asexually and couldn't find one. Most of the sources report it is a hermaphrodite and about the process with another nudi. It has been in the tank over a week. This is based on the assumption if somehow it did arrive on my last addition to my tank. All the zoas are open. So what I will do is put a cheap zoa in a container with the nudi and see what happens. I want to see if the nudi will eat the zoas before I kill it.

Marquiseo · Dec 21, 2013

It does resemble these zoas:

Thanks for all the replies and GL to everyone with their tanks.

glb · Dec 22, 2013

Oh I'd take that out. It's pretty but i think it will be a nightmare if it's eating your zoas. They come out at night.

iretthepirate · Dec 30, 2013

Your so lucky very beautiful. Would love a nudI but diet just to hard, good luck

josh4107 · Dec 30, 2013

In all likelyhood it is that color because that's the color of zoanthid it has most recently eaten. Also, if there is more than one they will reproduce. Sure it's beautiful but it will eat your zoas. I've had them before and pulled out one that was beautiful green and another almost exact color as the one you found. They're no good!