The Tasseled Sea Hare (Aplysia sp.) got its common name from the tassels it wears and its prodigious ability to consume nuisance hair algae. They're among the largest of the sea slugs you'll see in the home aquarium and can get up to eight inches long. They're graceful and beautiful critters that are captivating additions to the home marine aquarium. They often reflect their diet in appearance and specimens that are fed a diet of primarily green algae will often take on a green hue, and the same is true of individuals that exist on a diet of algae that has a red shade. Most of them are a pale brown to nearly white and are covered in little “tassels” that can be yellow, brown and sometimes even polka dotted with a darker shade over the lighter color.
The primary challenge to successfully keeping Sea Hares is the same thing that makes them so attractive to so many hobbyists. They eat hair algae, and they do it at an incredible pace. The hard part is making sure they get enough of it. They can very quickly deplete the natural supply in an aquarium that is well kept, and so supplemental feeding will be required. They will happily eat both the Nori and Ogo from Nutramar, as long as these are well hydrated before affixing them in place with a rock or clip in the aquarium, directly in the path of the sea slug. Many hobbyists will keep a spare tank in direct sunlight that has some small (marine tank appropriate) chunks of rock in it. This tank is usually either unfiltered or gently filtered with an air stone. A small, hardy fish like a damsel can be kept in this algae farm as well to help keep the nutrient supply high enough to maintain algal growth. These rocks will quickly develop a handsome crop of hair algae and can then be moved to the main display for the Tasseled Sea Hare to eat off of. Once the rock is stripped clean, it goes back to the algae farm and a new crop-rock is moved from the farm to the main display. This is one of the best ways to keep your Hare thriving long term. We've seen reports of Sea Hares eating algae wafers and algae-based shots but can't verify this. Click here to learn more
The primary challenge to successfully keeping Sea Hares is the same thing that makes them so attractive to so many hobbyists. They eat hair algae, and they do it at an incredible pace. The hard part is making sure they get enough of it. They can very quickly deplete the natural supply in an aquarium that is well kept, and so supplemental feeding will be required. They will happily eat both the Nori and Ogo from Nutramar, as long as these are well hydrated before affixing them in place with a rock or clip in the aquarium, directly in the path of the sea slug. Many hobbyists will keep a spare tank in direct sunlight that has some small (marine tank appropriate) chunks of rock in it. This tank is usually either unfiltered or gently filtered with an air stone. A small, hardy fish like a damsel can be kept in this algae farm as well to help keep the nutrient supply high enough to maintain algal growth. These rocks will quickly develop a handsome crop of hair algae and can then be moved to the main display for the Tasseled Sea Hare to eat off of. Once the rock is stripped clean, it goes back to the algae farm and a new crop-rock is moved from the farm to the main display. This is one of the best ways to keep your Hare thriving long term. We've seen reports of Sea Hares eating algae wafers and algae-based shots but can't verify this. Click here to learn more
