jvelkgrove
Member
So i noticed a hitchhiker today and would like to know if he's friend or foe?
Thank you!!
Thank you!!
Hitchhiker, friend or foe?
- Thread starter jvelkgrove
- Start date
Choff
Well-Known Member
Looks exactly like the big stomatella I have. At least that's what y'all I'd it as for me. When I first spotted it, it was smaller and whitish. Just saw it again when I redid my rocks and it looked just like that. It got darker and much bigger, but def the thing I had seen before.
jvelkgrove
Member
I did see another one about 1/4 of the size of this one. I'll try and get some better pics. it looks harmless, but then again so did the guy on the hitch-hiker movie!!!
JamesFitz
New Member
that definatetly looks like stomatella to me and i must agree at first glance it resembles one of the many nudibranch species (one of the less colorful, if anything). stomatellla species are very efficient at algae control. i have acquired a few in one of my tanks a while back and they multiplied very rapidly in my reef/goby 160G tank. No discredit to yourself, but the angle and quality of the image is so-so and this is simply a hypothesis based on experience
Choff
Well-Known Member
Very interested in this ID as that picture is exactly what I have in my tank and if it's a nudi...
Question, have you seen him when the lights have been on? If you do turn on the lights and happen to spot him, does he run for cover? Is he quick? Mine is fast, hates the light and is about an inch long, depending on how stretched out he is. I have had no coral damage at all and this bugger has been in my tank longer than any of my corals. Course, keep in mind that's all of a couple of months and why I am concerned when someone like Matt thinks its a Nudi.
Question, have you seen him when the lights have been on? If you do turn on the lights and happen to spot him, does he run for cover? Is he quick? Mine is fast, hates the light and is about an inch long, depending on how stretched out he is. I have had no coral damage at all and this bugger has been in my tank longer than any of my corals. Course, keep in mind that's all of a couple of months and why I am concerned when someone like Matt thinks its a Nudi.
JamesFitz
New Member
argh! these damn inverts!!! LOL i must say i am in the median of stoma and nudi. Matt88, you know just as well as I and all the George castanza marine biologists that the Nudibranchia are extremely difficult to determine in terms of taxonomic "value". Like i said, Im kind of in the middle. The sea slugs i am familiar with are not comparable to this picture, like i said i could be wrong.
Overlook Reef
Member
It looks like the same Stomatella I have in my tank. If it is it is a good member of the CUC.
Ian Eisenberg
Member
Stand back... this could get messy!
Stomatella
Stomatella
These are good members of the CuC. if your snail population is low, or for other reasons you have ample algae growth on glass/rocks, they will readily multiply, then thin out as the food source drops. They rarely get bigger than 3/4" and they are at least as good at clearing algae snails the same size. I have transfered a couple to other tanks, and i actually like them better than snails for cleaning glass/rocks. They dont bull doze like turbo's but they eat algae, detritus...like little vaccum cleaners. They will go over rocks, sand glass(into your overflow...GRRRRR), they can survive a trip through a 700gph pump to make it from the sump to the DT(i just happed to witness this first hand). tough, useful reef safe little critters.
lbiminiblue
Well-Known Member
Oh snap. could be, i'm not sure,a cowry. Does it have a shell? If so, then out out out!! I had one and he absolutely devoured all my feather dusters and possibly my zoas
Roots
Member
A stomatella? Naww. I have a bunch and they just eat algae off the rocks. Never bother anyone.
Ian Eisenberg
Member
My daughter has a huge colony. She loves the black ones!