Hitchhiking Nudibranch I believe. Good or bad one?

Reef_Angel · 09-22-2006, 07:44 PM

I found the coolest Nudibrach in our tank today. I was breaking apart a good sized rock that was literally infested with aiptasia. We've never had those buggers before, but must have got one in at one point or another and WHAM!! Aiptasia city on this one rock. This rock was past kalkwasser or any other complete elimination cures, so I broke the rock in two since it was going in the pot for a boil off. I noticed this spotted fleshy piece sticking out of a good sized hole. I gently pulled him out (gloved hand of course), and was shocked when it kept coming and coming out of the rock. Finally got the whole fella out of there and started looking him over. I do believe he's a nudibranch, but he's not like any I've seen in the LFS. So, he smiled for the camera for you guys,:p and hopefully you can give me some more info on him. All my zoanthids that used to be in that tank disappeared over time and I'm wondering if he was the culprit. Anyway, he has a nice home in a different tank where there's nothing he can harm, and nothing that can harm him either. Here's the pics! Thanks in advance!

Fatman · 09-22-2006, 10:05 PM

WOW how big is that thing?

dakar · 09-23-2006, 12:14 AM

If anything he's slightly larger than the image Angel posted, really a way cool looking critter.... to look at it you would think it was a big lounging blog, but he can really haul buggy! Found himself in my 25g tank for now until we can get him ID'd.... The only things in that tank now are a pair of percula clowns, an un-ID'd anenome, and a frag of hydronaphora. Not much he can hurt there...

graphixx · 09-23-2006, 12:42 PM

huh, that is a big one for sure he must like something in the tank to have gotten that big, I would keep an eye on him see if he get any smaller since you have a him in an environment with limited stuff to much on. as far as a zoo munching nudi, I have never seen them get that big before, that guy is a monster as far as nudis go, but he sure is neat, keep us posted

seahorsedreams · 09-25-2006, 01:01 AM

Can I post this picture elsewhere to try and get a specific ID?

dakar · 09-25-2006, 08:43 AM

By all means, please do! we are most curious to find out what he is besides, 'really cool looking'

Not even sure from where he came or how long he's been around... But now he's downstairs in my nano taking up residence in a hole in a rock here I can keep an eye on him. So far seems harmless, but we know how far that flies.

JustDavidP · 09-25-2006, 09:25 AM

It seems like an elysiid... perhaps clarki?

JustDavidP · 09-25-2006, 09:44 AM

What type of rock was it you found it in?

Another possibility: www.seaslugforum.net/find.cfm?id=4822

seahorsedreams · 09-25-2006, 08:25 PM

Erf! It turns out it is polyclad flatworm, not a nudi. And it seems this one is known for snail predation.

dakar · 09-26-2006, 10:25 AM

Ah-hah...great digging! Really cool critters.... found a bunch of great info about them at http://www.rzuser.uni-hd.de/~bu6/flatintr.htm too bad the listed email address is no longer valid.

Really neat critters, from the wild color patterns to thier predation methods.

Gonna hang onto this guy, at least for a while.... too unique not to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by seahorsedreams