Green nudibranch ID

[daveoirl]

Any ideas on what this is, and more importantly if I should whip it out?

I think it came on a piece of rock with some finger leather & xenia I purchased today. I dipped it as usual, but pretty sure this came in the rock.

Thanks everyone!

 

[ying yang]

I'm no expert but to Mr that doesnt look like a nudi.
Looks like some kind of sea slug of some kind but im 8 months new to all this and not much experience other than reading lots of stuff about lots stuff

 

[BeltedCoyote]

@ReefSquad

 

[ying yang]

Typed in green sea slug and look bottom right photo .looks like yours ?



Edit : bottom left I mean lol

 

[Uzidaisies]

Oh cool, that’s a lettuce nudibranch.

 

[daveoirl]

I found similar photos to you yin yang. But the one in my tank hasn't got those leaf like "veins".

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks like lettuce sea slug or caulerpa sea slug

 

[daveoirl]

Oh cool, that’s a lettuce nudibranch.

Oh really? Cool!

Will that need a good supply of algae to survive? Because there really isn't much, if any, in my tank.

 

[olonmv]

Elysia chlorotica is what it looks like kinda.

 

[a.t.t.r]

Lettuce sea slug. Good news is if it doesn’t make it it won’t wipe out the tank

 

[daveoirl]

Lettuce sea slug. Good news is if it doesn’t make it it won’t wipe out the tank

That's a relief anyway! Thanks!

 

[Uzidaisies]

Oh really? Cool!

Will that need a good supply of algae to survive? Because there really isn't much, if any, in my tank.

Think you can supplement with nori if you can get that.

 

[daveoirl]

Think you can supplement with nori if you can get that.

Will give it a try, thanks.

 

[Uzidaisies]

Think you can supplement with nori if you can get that.

But then again, maybe not. It could be the case that it feeds on only particular varieties of algae. This one looks a bit more like E. clarki than E. crispata to me. If that’s the case I think it may be a little pickier about what it eats.

 

[a.t.t.r]

Will give it a try, thanks.

Nope. They don’t eat algae they suck the living chloroplast out of it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Oh really? Cool!

Will that need a good supply of algae to survive? Because there really isn't much, if any, in my tank.

They literally suck the chlorophyl out of algae to susrvive

 

[Uzidaisies]

They suck out the cytoplasm and sequester the chloroplasts, but digest the rest. They get energy from both photosynthesis and normal digestion.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Lettuce sea slug. Good news is if it doesn’t make it it won’t wipe out the tank

Or sell/ donate back to LFS or another reefer local....if not enough algae that is....

 

[a.t.t.r]

Or sell/ donate back to LFS or another reefer local....if not enough algae that is....

As nice as that sounds. It’s unlikely they will find anyone who has better odds. Most of these will only eat one or two types usually bryopsis for most found in trade

 

[Uzidaisies]

They suck out the cytoplasm and sequester the chloroplasts, but digest the rest. They get energy from both photosynthesis and normal digestion.

The whole photosynthesis thing might be wrong actually. According to this article, the stolen chloroplasts might serve as not as a “solar panel” but simply as a stored food source. As you may be able to tell, most of this stuff is poorly understood. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2013.2493