Waiter, I think there is a hare in my RSM!

[Heliox]

So I see this blob in my tank about 6 weeks after set up. And it seemed to be cutting a fine swath through the algae collected on the back glass (very welcomed event). It had stayed out of sight for the whole 6 weeks to my surprise.

Am I correct that this is a sea hare?

It has been a few weeks since my first sighting and I have only seen it once more and then again tonight. It moves with such curiousity. It seems to have a personality, checking out things around it by stretching to smell, see, taste or hear what is close by.

My other question is, how big will it get? I have an RSM 130.
And is it safe with corals? I have added a zoanthid frag and a small colony of mushrooms which seem to be thriving.

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

It does appear to be a sea hare. I've seen them up to 6"-7". And also, it should not harm your corals.

BEWARE however, that if it gets stressed or dies, it can release a toxin into the tank and cause the entire tank to crash.

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

Also, it only eats algae, and it does it's job well as long as you provide food.

 

[johnvic]

I had a sea hare to get rid of algae. He had a lot of personality. He also pooped a ton. I gave him away because he dealt with the problem and I was concerned about him running out of food. I tried feeding him Nori but he seemed uninterested. This was in a 34 gal. Solana.

 

[acemow]

I too had a sea hare, cleaned hair algae out of tank. My CUC followed him around cleaning up the pellets of waste he made!! I couldn't get him to eat anything else when hair algae was gone, he just shrunk and shrunk until he died. I wish I'd have given him away first but I thought I could get him to eat. I learned the hard way, if I ever need another one, I won't let it get that bad.

 

[redsea reefer]

Thats a great title for your thread....lol

 

[Reefmack]

I thought the title was great too LOL!

 

[Boomer]

That looks lie one of the '"lettuce" slugs and not a "sea hare" as it is to long and skinny. Sea Slugs are Anaspids and Lettuce slugs are Scoglossans, aka Sap-Sucking- Slugs ,

 

[Heliox]

It does appear to be a sea hare. I've seen them up to 6"-7". And also, it should not harm your corals.

BEWARE however, that if it gets stressed or dies, it can release a toxin into the tank and cause the entire tank to crash.

YIKES! I don't want that. I saw Shrek (he has earlike protrusions that look like Shreks ears) on the front of the tank yesterday. The algae seems to be undercontrol in my tank. What should I feed Shrek?

Also Boomer, this animal is usually quite squat and roundish in appearance. The picture of it lengthened was it reaching out and looking for another structure.

I thought I was quite clever with the title myself..(hehe, pats himself on the back).

 

[Reefmack]

Heliox - you answered my question before I asked it! I was 99% sure it was a sea hare, and wondered if it was just stretching out to try to find a new place to attach. The color, "shrek ears", and body structures looked just like a sea hare I had.

 

[lcstorc]

I really had a shrek appear out of my LR

I do have to agree with Boomer. I don't think it is a sea hare.
It's not just the length. Something about it just looks off.
I can't really describe it.

 

[Reefmack]

I still think it's a sea hare The coloration, little thingies on the body, the "ears", etc. look just like a small one I had - mine would at times stretch like that too. That green one is a different story - pretty animal though.

 

[Boomer]

Heliox

quite squat and roundish in appearance.

So are some Sap-suckers Got a better pic

But if I stare at it long enough I can conceive a Stylocheilus striatus

That is a great pic Lynn and is a Lettuce Slug, Sap-Sucker, Sacoglossan. It looks like Oxynoe viridis

 

[lcstorc]

Yep, that is exactly what you said last time.
I just threw it in here because Shrek was mentioned and he is so cool looking.
Unfortunately he is missing and presumed dead.

 

[Reefmack]

I agree - a better picture, when the animal is not extended so much would sure help.

Good call on the Stylocheilus striatus Boomer - it does look very similar.

 

[Heliox]

Well, alas after treating my tank for the second time for flatworm, this hitch hiker succumbed to the broth. BUT, it did not seem to foul my tank when it died as no other casualties were seen (other than them dang flatworms).

 

[BigAl07]

.......But if I stare at it long enough I can conceive a Stylocheilus striatus.....]

Ditto! I'm fairly confident it's Stylocheilus striatus or VERY close to it. Even at that it's still a SeaHare just not what we normally see at the LFS. Still eats only a certain type of algae though . . .




Sorry to hear about it's demise. They are VERY sensitive to water parameters so thus would be sensitive to flatworm removal chemicals (FWE maybe)

I've had several SH and never had one "Nuke" the tank although I've always avoided the Blue Spot SH because they are potentially much more "toxic" or so I hear/read.... no first hand exp with that one.

Again sorry it expired