Nudibranch ID

[yosemite sam]

I just saw this guy crawling on the front of my tank. I've never seen it before, but I did buy a new coral today, so it maybe a recent arrival. Any ideas? It's about 1 inch long, and has a mostly translucent body with two rows of little white blobs running down it's back.

 

[holloway]

How ironic, I just posted the same thread. Let me know if someone ID"s this thing. I've got 3 which are app 1/2".

 

[newbienz]

Yosemite Sam - Not sure what that is, but it is very cool looking.

 

[ryebread]

Do a search on Tritoniopsis Elegans.
I think that may be what you have but, I could be wrong. Both of yours look like Juveniles. Do you have any Leather Corals in the tank?

 

[yosemite sam]

Thanks for the tip, Rye. I think the link below might be a closer ID. After looking at the thing some more, there are actually 3 rows of bumps, a row of small ones on each side and a row of larger ones down the middle. The other similarity that I see is the two sets of 'antennae' or what look like them on the front of the critter. The animal in the link is almost a dead ringer in body type, just a different color. Do you know anthing about these guys? I do have some leathers in my tank, by the way.
Phyllodesmium sp.

 

[yosemite sam]

Here's another photo of the thing, much blurrier, but this time on the back glass, so you can see the top. It looks a lot like the nudibranch in the link above. Who knows.....

 

[sammystingray]

I'm thinking bad, but only 90% sure.....get it out......repeat.....get it out, until a final ID is made. It looks like a soft coral eater to me. You don't have to kill it, but don't let it disappear and possibly reproduce....remove it, isolate it, and then worry about an ID.

 

[sammystingray]

I am quickly searching on the name you believe, and haven't found much yet, but on the first few pages I see it stores stinger cells, but none of the pages said from where......this would come from eating corals I assume, and I believe these are in the family the are considered masters of camo that hide within starpolyps and such and eat them. Maybe you do not have the exact same type as the star polyp eaters, but in my common hobbiest opinion, I would get him out now while you can see him.

 

[sammystingray]

BTW I actually had the EXACT same thing quite awhile ago....maybe four years, and I assumed he came in on a finger leather.....got one?? I never did get an exact ID, but I took him out. Perhaps if we match notes, we can figure what ours came in on?
Holloway, get in on this too, and lets figure this guy out....and what they come in on. I do think they are coral eaters though, and should atleast be isolated on sight. New folks would be amazed how new this hobby is, and most things are not IDed yet......actually, there are tons of ocean creatures that have yet to even get a name. Let's figure out where this guy comes from......the three of us must have something in common that would tell or give a clue??? Finger leather anyone?

 

[yosemite sam]

Thanks for all the help Sammy! I should have pulled him out while I had the chance, of course now he's nowhere to be seen. I do have a few spagetti and devils hand leathers. All but one have been in the tank a while. The devil's hand I recently added had a hole in it's base that I assumed was a mark from here it was attached to another rock, but maybe it was something else. All the leathers I have are on very small pieces of LR, and I didn't see anything on them when I put them in the tank (and I usually check for manitis shrimps, etc). The only other recent addition was yesterday, and that was a med-sized acro piece. One of my spagetti leathers hasn't been opening all the way this week, but I haven't seen any tissue damage anywhere. I will definitely keep an eye out though. That would really suck if it is a coralivore. The thing is really pretty.
Here is a closeup of the devil's hand I recently added. This is a recent picture, so the hole has healed up some. Is this just a mark where it was attached to anther rock, or something more sinister?

 

[fishman88]

i dont no but it doesnt look to good to me
mike

 

[holloway]

I have noticed 3 (about 1/2") creatures in my tank. They are usually on the glass. I will remove them asap. I also have a Devil's finger leather and a toadstool. Thanks.

 

[jawfishray]

Well I have been on a researching mood today...the bad news is this,
The body features and placement of the same marks this as a Aeolid or a Dendronotoidea rather than a harmless Doridoidea.
<Aeolids and Dendronotoidea feed mainly on members of the coral family (Cnidaria) which includes sea anemones, corals, soft corals and gorgonians (Alcyonarians), jellyfish, mollusc eggs, goose barnacles and Portuguese man-of-war. These amazing animals can pass the stinging cells (nematocysts) through their digestive system without triggering them and use them in their own defence. Some species extract algae (symbiotic zooanxanthellae) from their prey and “farm” them. Size ranges up to 15cm. >
As cute as it is...it is most assuredly a coral eater. It meets every detail of what the Aeolid/ Dendronotoidea features.
I would highly recommend removing. Move to a small tank or make a viewing tank 4"x4"x1", for good photographing and then, destroy the pest.
Adam "Beautiful and deadly"
God "Eve or the serpent?"
Adam "Yes"
Ray

 

[jawfishray]

Aeolids and Dendronotoidea feed mainly on members of the coral family (Cnidaria) which includes sea anemones, corals, soft corals and gorgonians (Alcyonarians), jellyfish, mollusc eggs, goose barnacles and Portuguese man-of-war. These amazing animals can pass the stinging cells (nematocysts) through their digestive system without triggering them and use them in their own defence. Some species extract algae (symbiotic zooanxanthellae) from their prey and “farm” them. Size ranges up to 15cm.
Ray

 

[holloway]

Thanks eveybody. I just siphoned 3 of em lil creatures out of my tank. One was in the process of dining on my leather toadstool. He wasn 't happy- he was tough getting out of the turkey baster. Not to mention withstanding the several flushes I tried to close the deal. Sorry for being so graphic. Thanks again.

 

[yosemite sam]

Thanks for the research. I've kept I eye out for the little bugger but so far I haven't seen him again. All the leathers look good too. Hopefully they'll stay that way....

 

[jedininja]

I saw the same exact thing at the Monterey Bay Aquarium a week ago. I forget the exact name, but they do eat corals and love anenomes, and as stated before use the stinging cells in thier own defense. So, GET IT OUT QUICK!!!!

 

[holloway]

Here is some more info I found. Is this what you have?
http://www.reeffarmers.com/tracygraynudi01.htm

 

[attml]

Looks very similar to the type that were snacking on my montiopra digitata about a year ago. I did a 25 second fresh water dip on my digitatas back then and the nudis have never returned.