Durvilledoris lemniscata in aquarium

February 14, 2003
From: Jim Roth

Hi Dr. Rudman,
Here is a nudibranch that was introduced accidentally into my aquarium. Sorry for the poor photos, you can see the features pretty well.

It's less than an inch long, has the purple-white-yellow pattern you see, the "bunny ears" antennas and a gill structure in the rear. The cool thing is it's been living in my reef tank for more than a year and it's grown, so it must be eating something. Can you ID it?

Thanks and Regards,
Jim Roth

rothj@optonline.net

Roth, J., 2003 (Feb 14) Durvilledoris lemniscata in aquarium. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9184

Dear Jim,
Your animal is Durvilledoris lemniscata. I am very surprised it has lasted a year or more in your aquarium as it is a chromodorid nudibranch, and like all its relatives it feeds on particular sponges. apparently it must have hitched a ride on something, a rock perhaps, with its favourite sponge food. Either the sponge is particularly hardy and has found away to live in your aquarium, even while being constantly eaten by your nudibranch. Perhaps you should keep an eye on it and see if you can find what it is eating. If it has a 'home territory' in your aquarium that would be a good place to look.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Feb 14). Comment on Durvilledoris lemniscata in aquarium by Jim Roth. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9184

Factsheet

Durvilledoris lemniscata

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