Slug/nudibranch found this morning

[ramarro]

Hi, can someone help identify this critter?

I haven't added any coral rock recently so it's been there for at least 6 months but I spotted it just now

Hopefully is not dangerous as I haven't removed it

 

[papercrab]

It looks like a lettuce nudibranch. Harmless and will eat algea.

 

[Fish Styx]

It looks like a lettuce nudibranch. Harmless and will eat algea.

It is definitely an Elysia sp., IMO; but looks more like E. obtusa than E. crispata.

For the OP:
I would keep it in isolation until a definitive ID is made. In the interim, please try to get closer and clearer images of the specimen.

@ISpeakForTheSeas any input would be appreciated.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

It is definitely an Elysia sp., IMO; but looks more like E. obtusa than E. crispata.

For the OP:
I would keep it in isolation until a definitive ID is made. In the interim, please try to get closer and clearer images of the specimen.

@ISpeakForTheSeas any input would be appreciated.

Yeah, with the white margin on the "wings" and the spotting (to quote one of my other posts):

Yeah, that's an Elysia sp. Sacoglossan Slug (A.K.A. a Lettuce "Nudibranch"), and it's an herbivore - if it's from the Atlantic, it's E. flava; if it's from the Pacific, it's E. obtusa

Elysia flava or E. obtusa - harmless/beneficial Sacoglossan slugs. They're herbivores, with E. obtusa known to feed on Bryopsis, while E. Flava is thought to feed on Cladophora.

it seems at least some adults of some species can survive feeding on algae that isn't their preferred food, but juveniles cannot

If you don't have access to their preferred feeds, you can try some of the below or another green algae, but no guarantees they'll feed on it/derive adequate nutrition from it:

Elysia slugs generally feed on siphonalean algae such as Caulerpa, Codium, Acetabularia, Halimeda, Udotea, Byropsis, and Valonia spp.

 

[Fish Styx]

Yeah, with the white margin on the "wings" and the spotting (to quote one of my other posts):

Yeah, that's an Elysia sp. Sacoglossan Slug (A.K.A. a Lettuce "Nudibranch"), and it's an herbivore - if it's from the Atlantic, it's E. flava; if it's from the Pacific, it's E. obtusa


If you don't have access to their preferred feeds, you can try some of the below or another green algae, but no guarantees they'll feed on it/derive adequate nutrition from it:

You rock!

 

[papercrab]

In foot ball they look up to people who can do 100 keepy uppies, in reefing we look up to people who can list 7 diffrent subspecies of lettuce nudibranch and there technicallities of care.

 

[ramarro]

Thank you I hope to see her again I think it was in the tank for at least 6m and never noticed

 

[vetteguy53081]

These are safe and eat certain algae, not all and need algae and light to build up chloroplasts which provide energy. Found one in my tank a year ago and lasted maybe 3 months as my tank is generally free of algae

 

[elissasoroj]

@OP if you ever find her again and decide you don't want to keep her, we would love to have you send her to us - I'm a researcher at Harvard. We'll pay to overnight it to the lab and happy to acknowledge you in anything that we use her for :)