Re: Chelidonura varians in aquarium

August 26, 2009
From: Bill Brown

Concerning message #21945:

In response to your questions about Chelidonura varians feeding:

1. Do they suck them in like a vacuum cleaner?

Yes they do - great to see when you have a flatworm infestation.

2. Also how many flatworms do they eat and at what rate? That is do they eat one and then have a sleep for a day? or do they crawl around hunting flatworms until they have a stomach full [5? 10?].

The latter - they hoover them up until full then sleep in mucus really like a vacuum cleaner.  The flatworms try and make a break for it but it is too late

3. Any observations you can share would be very welcome.

From my tank experiences I would warn aquarium users if they have a Cleaner Wrasse.  In my tank the fish attacked one of the similarly coloured slugs soon fater it was introduced and killed it. Also a Valentini Puffer fish pecked at one but to no ill effect. They have a habit of disappearing into rockwork. It is possible of course that have been eaten by crabs, fish etc However as I had a black nudi for months before I discovered it they can hide.

Bill Brown
UK 

acehole007@gmail.com

Brown, W.R., 2009 (Aug 26) Re: Chelidonura varians in aquarium. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22614

Dear Bill,

Thanks for these interesting observations on Chelidonura feeding.  I had expected they would suck them in like you describe but after about 40 years I still haven't actually caught one feeding.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Aug 26). Comment on Re: Chelidonura varians in aquarium by Bill Brown. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22614

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