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StatelineReefer
Reef Safe With Caution
Aplysia (Commonly, Sea Hare)
Algae and cyanobacteria obligates. Overall Good Bois.
Algae and cyanobacteria obligates. Overall Good Bois.
Actually, that looks to me like Elysia obtusa - a sarcoglossan (sap-sucking) sea slug. I don't what these guys specifically eat, but Elysia slugs feed on siphonalean algae such as Caulerpa, Codium, Acetabularia, Halimeda, Udotea, Byropsis, and Valonia spp.
So, unless you're running a macroalgae tank, it's probably harmless/beneficial, but you may need to offer it some algae to feed on if your tank doesn't have much algae in it. They absolutely can live long term in tanks, and some people specifically buy similar species to add to their CUC.
So, unless you're running a macroalgae tank, it's probably harmless/beneficial, but you may need to offer it some algae to feed on if your tank doesn't have much algae in it. They absolutely can live long term in tanks, and some people specifically buy similar species to add to their CUC.
StatelineReefer
Reef Safe With Caution
As long as there's algae. Should probably pass him around to local reefers who have an overgrowth issue, Sea Hare will be fat and happy, and you'll be doing the local community a favor, everyone wins, except the algae... F algae
StatelineReefer
Reef Safe With Caution
Any chance you can snap a video of its radula (Feeding mouthparts) to truly determine which side of the clade this one is on?
vetteguy53081
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Im thinking Dorid sea slug or Elysia
WheatToast
2500 Club Member
Agreed!
Looks like a harmless Elysia slug, which is not a nudibranch but still a type of sea slug. These will suck the “sap” out of some green algae and steal their chloroplasts to photosynthesize. I once had one that ate Codium, but ReefCleaners says they will also feed on Ulva, Penicillus, and hair algae. Be careful to make sure your pumps and inlets are protected to prevent the slug from being sucked up.
Elysia obtusa:
Elysia viridis:
StatelineReefer
Reef Safe With Caution
Yep, upon review, this is either Elysia Subornata or Elysia Obtusa. Hard to tell truly without close examination or knowing the origin. Sorry, I'm kind of a slug nerd.
OP
OP
LIreefguy
Valuable Member
Sorry I went on vacation for a while so haven’t responded
I didn’t add it to my tank might of been in there for a while since I haven’t really added anything in a while to that tank. Actually I have found 2 of them.
yes I do have caulerpa in my tank. It might be eating that. Can they breed in tank.
it doesn’t seem to be very big
I didn’t add it to my tank might of been in there for a while since I haven’t really added anything in a while to that tank. Actually I have found 2 of them.
yes I do have caulerpa in my tank. It might be eating that. Can they breed in tank.
it doesn’t seem to be very big
They might be able to, but I'd assume you'd see better results (assuming you get larvae) with a rearing tank and some macroalgae to add to it (so the larvae will settle). The only Elysia sp. I know of that has been actively aquacultured before is E. viridis* (the larvae were fed Rhodomonas baltica - I don't know if E. obtusa larvae would feed on the same or not, but the second link below is a site that sells Rhodomonas sp. here in the US in case you want to see if it helps).
*The study where they were aquacultured:
Rhodomonas Phytoplankton
Rhodomonas is a red phytoplankton used to increase the survival, healthy, and reproduction rate of copepods.
www.podyourreef.com
