Lettuce Sea Slug Behavior (Elysia crispata)

[VKP01]

I got this lettuce sea slug at RAP last weekend. He seems to have done fine acclimating to the new tank, but I was wondering if anyone who has cared for one could give me some description of their normal behavior. This one (his name in Slouglas, though that’s not really relevant...) doesn’t move around a whole lot, mostly just sitting near the waterline. I figured this could be because he’s receiving energy through photosynthetic means, but this is my first time keeping a slug, so I was just curious!

(Isn’t he adorable)

 

[maevepotter]

Don't get too attached. My first two bit it fairly quickly. Apparently Dottybacks like to pull them apart

 

[VKP01]

Don't get too attached. My first two bit it fairly quickly. Apparently Dottybacks like to pull them apart

Yeah, I’m holding out hope he’s fine and actually just lazy, but I understood when I got him that slugs and nudis don’t have a great success rate. I’ve got a few peaceful fish that fortunately haven’t had any interest in him, but my main concern is that he may not like the flow.

 

[ithk21620]

Don't get too attached. My first two bit it fairly quickly. Apparently Dottybacks like to pull them apart

Yup, and powerheads

 

[VKP01]

Yup, and powerheads

I’ve got mesh over the powerheads so he can’t get in there. Found him crawling on one so it was a good thing

 

[VKP01]

So I managed to dig up some information, and apparently juveniles just sit in one spot under a light! So it could just be that he’s not hungry for algae yet, and is just chilling out as close to the light as he can get

 

[Kamden Uelton]

They don't get much energy from photosynthesis? Juveniles do and it only makes up 10% of the energy they need.. Lettuce Nudibranchs eat Bryopsis and rarely hair algae.

 

[VKP01]

They don't get much energy from photosynthesis? Juveniles do and it only makes up 10% of the energy they need.. Lettuce Nudibranchs eat Bryopsis and rarely hair algae.

Do you have a source or reading material covering that? I’m really interested to learn about this and compare different information sources

 

[Kamden Uelton]

Do you have a source or reading material covering that? I’m really interested to learn about this and compare different information sources

Any basic research will tell you that the adults get no energy from photosynthesis. I am at school right now I will find the sources for you later

 

[VKP01]

Update - I believe this is actually C. Clarki, not the previously mentioned C. Crispata. Both go by Lettuce Sea Slug though, and were originally thought to be variations of the same species, from what I’ve found

 

[VKP01]

He’s still hanging out around the top. I’ve noticed during the day he tends to sit on top of the power head and flatten out, then at night he angles himself towards a plant grow light I have in the room. There’s not much information about them, and what information there is doesn’t all agree, so it’s cool getting to see how he acts first hand.

 

[VKP01]

Slouglas is a proud father! He laid eggs this afternoon, I’m so proud :’)