Dermatobranchus in aquaria

February 6, 2003
From: Ron Shimek


Hi,
I found about half a dozen of these animals in an aquarium. So... I have no idea of original locality. It could literally be anywhere in the tropics. They are living at 27 deg C.

The animals are about a centimeter long, and a millimeter wide. They look like white Armina, but with no ridges on the back. The rhinophores are brown speckled on a white background and have 3-4 raised ridges in a more-or-less helical pattern.
Ron Shimek

rshimek@imt.net

Shimek, R., 2003 (Feb 6) Dermatobranchus in aquaria. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9127

Dear Ron,
Your animal is a species of Dermatobranchus, which is closely related to the genus Armina. Most species feed on soft corals, and they seem to be a fairly common hitchhiker, travelling, probably as inconspicuous juveniles, on the soft-corals which are collected in the tropics for the aquarium trade. I guess if you have them then you have the right soft-coral for them to feed on. Whether you remove them from your aquarium depends on whether you prize them more than their food.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Feb 6). Comment on Dermatobranchus in aquaria by Ron Shimek. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9127

Factsheet

Dermatobranchus spp.

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