Help with green nudibranch ID
- Thread starter seafansar
- Start date
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
Looks like a Dorid nudibranch. I think it is of the genus Ceratosoma.
Did the emperor shrimp come with the nudi? Emperor shrimp have commensal relationships with other creatures, and sea slugs are one of them.
More of emperor shrimp here: http://animals.mom.me/emperor-shrimp-5009.html
As for the sea slug, it looks like it might be a type of Ceratosoma, possibly a Ceratosoma sinuata or sinuatum.
http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3226
http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/miamira
http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/cerasinu
Ceratosoma and emperor shrimp pic here:
http://justingilligan.photoshelter.com/image/I0000KVtEvxFH5Vg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ceratosoma_tenue_with_Emperor_Shrimp.jpg
Pretty cool relationship going on there.
Unfortunately it is not what you ordered. Now to find out what the nudi eats and if your tank is in danger?
Did the emperor shrimp come with the nudi? Emperor shrimp have commensal relationships with other creatures, and sea slugs are one of them.
More of emperor shrimp here: http://animals.mom.me/emperor-shrimp-5009.html
As for the sea slug, it looks like it might be a type of Ceratosoma, possibly a Ceratosoma sinuata or sinuatum.
http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3226
http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/miamira
http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/cerasinu
Ceratosoma and emperor shrimp pic here:
http://justingilligan.photoshelter.com/image/I0000KVtEvxFH5Vg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ceratosoma_tenue_with_Emperor_Shrimp.jpg
Pretty cool relationship going on there.
Unfortunately it is not what you ordered. Now to find out what the nudi eats and if your tank is in danger?
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Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
And a couple of pics from nudipixel - I'm almost 100% sure it is a Ceratosoma sinuatum after seeing these two pics on nudipixel. I downloaded you pic and close up image on yours also shows to have the neon blue spots along the sides.
http://www.nudipixel.net/photo/00009965/
http://www.nudipixel.net/photo/00000755/
http://www.nudipixel.net/photo/00009965/
http://www.nudipixel.net/photo/00000755/
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
And based on the info on this page, if you scroll down, this species has been sold as sea lettuce many times before: http://www.seaslugforum.net/showall/cerasinu
And it is a sponge-feeding nudibranch. So, in order to keep it alive it needs to eat sponges. The problem now is that it may be selective on certain sponges to eat.
I get angry seeing critters mislabeled like this. This poor animal will starve and die in almost all tanks it ends up in. It should have been left in the wild.
And it is a sponge-feeding nudibranch. So, in order to keep it alive it needs to eat sponges. The problem now is that it may be selective on certain sponges to eat.
I get angry seeing critters mislabeled like this. This poor animal will starve and die in almost all tanks it ends up in. It should have been left in the wild.
seafansar
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much for the ID! I own a fish store (Stormborn Reef) and was sent these by one of my wholesalers. Unlike hobbyists shopping at stores, I can't take them back and demand my money back! lol. So it sucks and I know from now on not to order "lettuce nudibranchs" from that wholesaler. I can see why other stores get confused with the ID's. I knew they weren't lettuce nudi's and wanted to figure out what they were before selling them. I was really, really hoping they ate algae since they are green. 
The emperor shrimp I ordered by itself. I just think they are really cool shrimp!
The emperor shrimp I ordered by itself. I just think they are really cool shrimp!
Oxylebius
Well-Known Member
@seafansar
I noticed you are in Florida. I was hoping that it is perhaps a local species and therefore could be released, but it is not. Based on the information on this page: http://www.nudipixel.net/species/ceratosoma_sinuatum/ (scroll down to locality) this critter is a Pacific Ocean species. It isn't from the Florida Atlantic coast, Gulf of Mexico, or Caribbean areas. So, taking it to the ocean for release is NOT recommended. I also double checked my Caribbean Sea Slug field guide book to verify and Ceratosoma sinuatum is not listed.
Posts on the sea slug forum state that they are not sure what this animal eats, other than it eats sponges, probably of the Dysideidae family of sponges (that is the family of sponges species of Ceratosoma usually feed on). Any chance you can order from your wholesaler the sponges from this family? And what if you can sell the Ceratosoma's and the sponges they eat to customers who want that unique reef critter? It would have to be made clear to the customer that they will have to continue to order the sponges from you for feeding it. From a business model perspective, it would be a good way to bring customers into the shop regularly (picking up their special order sponges, food for sponges, and then what ever else that the customer needs). Just a thought on how to keep these animals alive now that you have them, and perhaps help your business.
I noticed you are in Florida. I was hoping that it is perhaps a local species and therefore could be released, but it is not. Based on the information on this page: http://www.nudipixel.net/species/ceratosoma_sinuatum/ (scroll down to locality) this critter is a Pacific Ocean species. It isn't from the Florida Atlantic coast, Gulf of Mexico, or Caribbean areas. So, taking it to the ocean for release is NOT recommended. I also double checked my Caribbean Sea Slug field guide book to verify and Ceratosoma sinuatum is not listed.
Posts on the sea slug forum state that they are not sure what this animal eats, other than it eats sponges, probably of the Dysideidae family of sponges (that is the family of sponges species of Ceratosoma usually feed on). Any chance you can order from your wholesaler the sponges from this family? And what if you can sell the Ceratosoma's and the sponges they eat to customers who want that unique reef critter? It would have to be made clear to the customer that they will have to continue to order the sponges from you for feeding it. From a business model perspective, it would be a good way to bring customers into the shop regularly (picking up their special order sponges, food for sponges, and then what ever else that the customer needs). Just a thought on how to keep these animals alive now that you have them, and perhaps help your business.
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