Hypselodoris bullocki - feeding and care.

December 31, 2000
From: Edward Sipolt

I am a 3 year experienced reefkeeper, recently I made a move to include three H. bullocki (purple/white/yellow coloration) into my prized fishtank. They have now survived for three months on a combination of Breadcrumb Sponges, Aiptasia anemones, and the occasional sponge that happens in on the liverock I purchase. Or so it seemed. My H. bullocki appear to feed off these other food sources sparingly, and have taken the bulk of their nutrition from a few large patches of what appeared to be algae, but is now identified as Aplysilla glacialis.

Information on this particular sponge can be found at
http://www.biology.ucsc.edu/classes/bio161l/Images/Animals/a01apl.html

Edward Sipolt

runic@msn.com

Sipolt, E., 2000 (Dec 31) Hypselodoris bullocki - feeding and care.. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3320

Dear Edward,
Thanks for the interesting information. When I began reading your message I found it difficult to believe they would eat breadcrumb sponges or sea anemones but Aplysilla glacialis makes much more sense. From memory I think A. glacialis is endemic to the west coast of North America, so can I assume you are adding this to your aquarium?

Interestingly, Aplysilla glacialis has been reported often as the food of a number of Nth America West Coast species of Cadlina,a genus closely related to Hypselodoris. Although nudibranchs are very specific feeders, there is always a possibility that a closely related sponge from some other part of the world will be acceptable to them. That is why I have suggested in the past that people look for local sponges related to Aplysilla, which is a genus of sponges often eaten by chromodorids, and test them on their captive chromodorids.

Good luck with your H. bullocki
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2000 (Dec 31). Comment on Hypselodoris bullocki - feeding and care. by Edward Sipolt. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3320

Factsheet

Hypselodoris bullocki

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