What is its name?

January 1, 2001
From: Cody Mott

I have recently purchased a nudibranch for my 29 gallon saltwater aquarium. As with all the animals I purchase I strive to find out all that I can about them. The nutibranch that I got looks to be the same exact one that is pictured at the top of all the pages of this Forum. Could somebody please help me find out what more about it. I'm sure since it is pictured on all the pages and I paid only $22 for it that the species is fairly common.
Thanks for all the help.

Cody Mott

kwool@hotmail.com

Mott, C., 2001 (Jan 1) What is its name?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3453

Dear Cody,
The animal at the top of the page is Chromodoris elisabethina. If you go to that page, by clicking on the underlined name, you will find some information about it.

All chromodorids feed on sponges, and in particular those that are without siliceous spicules. Unfortunately I can't tell you which species C. elisabethina prefers although it is most probably a species of Dysidea, Darwinella or Aplysilla. As you will see from the on-going discussion on the Hypselodoris bullocki pages, keeping tropical nudibranchs in aquaria is usually a case of slowly starving them to death. If the shop owner tells you they eat algae he either doesn't know what he is talking about or is lying. If tropical fish were very specialised feeders and impossible to feed in captivity there would be a public outcry against their sale to aquarium hobbyists. I think it is the responsibility of the aquarium trade to find a substitute food for these animals before they start profitting from their sale and ultimate starvation.
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Jan 1). Comment on What is its name? by Cody Mott. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3453

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