Lettuce slug variations

[JoJosReef]

New lettuce slug from ReefCleaners. This one has interesting blue undertones below its frills and mottled body:

My old lettuce slug had the more typical green/dark green coloration:

Are there variants of Elysia crispata, or are there different species often mixed together? ReefCleaners advertises E. crispata as their offering. I imagine sexual dimorphism isn't a thing, as I don't know how much visual cues these slugs use. @SlugSnorter @ISpeakForTheSeas any ideas? Could it be an E. clarki? Slug forum shows those as more from south/central Caribbean...

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Are there variants of Elysia crispata, or are there different species often mixed together? ReefCleaners advertises E. crispata as their offering. I imagine sexual dimorphism isn't a thing, as I don't know how much visual cues these slugs use. @SlugSnorter @ISpeakForTheSeas any ideas? Could it be an E. clarki? Slug forum shows those as more from south/central Caribbean...

There are variants (The Sea Slug Forum refers to it as a color form) of E. crispata, and blue is one of them.

The Sea Slug Forum - Elysia crispata

Some related info that's good for ID purposes between E. crispata and E. clarki:

The Sea Slug Forum - Elysia clarki

The Sea Slug Forum - Elysia clarki

www.seaslugforum.net

Edit: These are different links.

 

[JoJosReef]

There are variants (The Sea Slug Forum refers to it as a color form) of E. crispata, and blue is one of them.

The Sea Slug Forum - Elysia crispata

Some related info that's good for ID purposes between E. crispata and E. clarki:

The Sea Slug Forum - Elysia clarki

The Sea Slug Forum - Elysia clarki

www.seaslugforum.net

Edit: These are different links.

Super! Thanks for the links. If I understand correctly, the E. crispata consumes chloroplasts from Halimeda incressata (which I have). The one I had previously was always sucking on ulva as well, so presumably they can source chloroplasts from some other green macros as well.

Thanks! Love the variations in these.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Super! Thanks for the links. If I understand correctly, the E. crispata consumes chloroplasts from Halimeda incressata (which I have). The one I had previously was always sucking on ulva as well, so presumably they can source chloroplasts from some other green macros as well.

Thanks! Love the variations in these.

Yeah, here's what I've found on the feeding of E. crispata:

"For example, Caulerpa was described as the primary food source of the sea slug Elysia crispata (Jensen, 1980), while Clark and Busacca (1978) reported that the same species did not consume Caulerpa but instead fed on macroalgae of the genera Halimeda, Penicillus, Bryopsis, and Batophora."*

Some lettuce slugs (typically from the genus Elysia) will eat nuisance algae species, but their wild diet varies pretty drastically from one species to another, and some species have some pretty specific wild diets (I don’t know if these are required diets or preferred diets, but Reef Cleaners reports that they'll eat just about any green, fleshy algae). That said, Elysia slugs generally feed on siphonalean algae such as Caulerpa, Codium, Acetabularia, Halimeda, Udotea, Byropsis, and Valonia spp. So, in theory, these guys should eat nuisance algae that pops up in your tank.

*Source:

Crawling leaves: photosynthesis in sacoglossan sea slugs

Abstract. Some species of sacoglossan sea slugs can maintain functional chloroplasts from specific algal food sources in the cells of their digestive diver

academic.oup.com

 

[JoJosReef]

Yeah, here's what I've found on the feeding of E. crispata:

"For example, Caulerpa was described as the primary food source of the sea slug Elysia crispata (Jensen, 1980), while Clark and Busacca (1978) reported that the same species did not consume Caulerpa but instead fed on macroalgae of the genera Halimeda, Penicillus, Bryopsis, and Batophora."*

*Source:

Crawling leaves: photosynthesis in sacoglossan sea slugs

Abstract. Some species of sacoglossan sea slugs can maintain functional chloroplasts from specific algal food sources in the cells of their digestive diver

academic.oup.com

My previous slug used to sit on valonia, and I always wondered if it was sucking out chloroplasts. I assume so, since I would find small patches of valonia that were pale and silvery. I also have a ton of codium, but have never seen my old slug or current one spending much time on it. Old slug seemed happy with ulva and valonia, but was presumed to be sucked under the filter floss and through the back chambers to its demise. This one seems to still be trying to find its happy place. Will get some Caulerpa to see if it like Caulerpa as well.