Unidentified Nudibranch in aquarium

December 24, 2004
From: David Seibel

Dear Bill
I’m hoping someone with more nudibranch identification experience might have an idea about the two pink-white slugs that appeared in my tank recently.  I’m afraid my pictures are coming out slightly blurry.  I haven’t added anything but fish to the tank in about 6 months.  Suddenly, one of the soft corals started to look increasingly ill.  Then the slugs pictured appeared crawling all over it.  They have stayed on the coral for 3 days and I can only assume they are eating it.  Odd curly white strands have also appeared in bunches in the immediate area.  The slugs are less than 2 inches in length and the strands can be as long as 5 inches— I have seen the strands appearing to come from the slugs themselves like waste product (or reproductive structures?).
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
David

dseibel@insightpartnersonline.com

Seibel, D., 2004 (Dec 24) Unidentified Nudibranch in aquarium. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12700

Dear David
This is Tritoniopsis elegans. As you will see by the other messages on this page this species is a common aquarium 'hitchhiker'. The white strands you mention are its egg ribbon.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Dec 24). Comment on Unidentified Nudibranch in aquarium by David Seibel. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12700

Factsheet

Tritoniopsis elegans

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