Nudibranch Just Caught

Just caught this sucker. Good or bad? Because I don't wanna kill it unnecessarily.



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Aww. Cute little thing. I can't say for sure if it is good or bad. It appears to be a type of sea-slug.

There was a similar sea-slug on Live Aquaria, but it doesn't look to be an exact match. Yours might be a young'n.

Saltwater Aquarium Invertebrates for Marine Aquariums: Sea Cucumber, Yellow

 

Thanks Seano. I had seen that photo before, but didn't see the offshoots coming out of him. Is that something that could be developed with age?

 

Appendages will probably grow with age, although looking at it again, I don't think you have the same thing I linked to.

 

Oh, I see what you are asking...no, I do not think your sea slug will obtain the side shoots like you see in the nudibranch in my link.

 

Zoanthid-eating nudibranch. His side flaps are hiding his "off-shoots" right now.

Glad you caught it.

 

Awesome, thanks!

 

Huh, those seem to look a lot like sea slugs. I ordered a cleaner crew from Live Aquaria and got one of the sea slugs and they do have those two antennae looking things on their head. Also, I googled nudibranch and this one picture looks a lot like my sea slug; how do I tell the difference?:

 

Most sea slugs (which also includes sacoglossans and nudibranchs) have cephalic tentacles (which you are calling antennae).

Sacoglossans are a type of slug that have a single row of teeth (and may or may not have other decorative "off-shoots" on the rest of it's body.

Nudibranchs are a type of slug that has external lungs and may have "Off-shoots" as well.

In other words, all sacoglossans and nudibranchs are sea slugs, but not all sea slugs are sacoglossans or nudibranchs....they might just be a slug.

 

i had zoanthid eating nudibranchs and they looked nothing like that. They had many appendages hanging off their back ends. This looks more like some sort of slug-like nudibranch such as the velvet one. I do not know if this one in particular is reef safe though. Someone in the invert forum might know.

This is what a zoanthid eating nudi looks like


I had a slug-like one in my tank that multiplied and turned out to eat flatworms and algae. I see him once in awhile.