Re: Thuridilla lineolata from the Philippines

January 8, 2009
From: Richard Gilliland

Concerning message #21408:

I recently received these from shipments that came in with live coral from Jakarta. Anyone know what they eat?

Mine is very small maybe as long as a dime.

Locality: Jakarta, 23 Dec 2008

Richard Gilliland

richard@saltysupply.com

Gilliland, R., 2009 (Jan 8) Re: Thuridilla lineolata from the Philippines. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22117

Dear Richard,

Small invertebrates like this are, I guess, the usually unnoticed 'collateral damage' of the aquarium trade in 'live rock' and live coral. Species of Thuridilla, like all sacoglossan sea slugs, are herbivorous, but I can't be much more specific on their food as we still have much to learn about most species. My guess is that it would feed on filamentous green algae, so there is a chance, with a bit of luck, that it would find an appropriate food source in a 'tropical' aquarium - perhaps an algae which has also hitched a ride from Jakarta. In your photo it seems to be crawling over a piece of living coral. To have any chance of survival it needs to be kept with rock and/or pieces of coral skeleton - no longer with living tissue - on which algae can grow.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Jan 8). Comment on Re: Thuridilla lineolata from the Philippines by Richard Gilliland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22117

Factsheet

Thuridilla lineolata

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