need sea slug ID

[freaky-lil-raver]

well I have 2 sea slugs I have found roaming about my 2 gallon reef.

now I am really hoping that the firs one here is in fact Berghia Verrucicornis. I have found about 6 of them amoung the stuff I collected myself.

the 2nd one came on some LR I purchased at my LFS.

thank you much
Mary

[freaky-lil-raver]

hee is the 2nd one......

[rshimek]

Hi,

The first doesn't appear to be Berghia, the cerata have different coloration and shape from that species. I don't know what species it is. It is an aeolid, and these tend to sea anemones, hydroids, corals and soft corals.

The second image doesn't have enough visible detail to identify. Perhaps if you post a different image of the animal I may be able to help.

See this article (http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-09/rs/index.htm) in the September [rk] for some information and links to sites that may help you identify these animals.

:D

[Guy]

After enhancing the second image it appears to be a Stomatella aka Cap Snail.

[freaky-lil-raver]

well I did a lil more research on Stomatella. Looks much like mine, but mine is more of a pale pink, purple, and grey color. I also saw a grey one among the critters I collected myself. well at leaset I know what one of them are. :D

as for the first one I wish I knew how to tell it apart from the Berghia. mine seem to have a deep purple color, and almost white tips on the cerata. but of the pics I have seen of the Berghia they look just like them, aside from thier coloraton.

they are very tiny, maybe 1/8 of an inch in length right now. I will try to get a few more pics from other angles.

what other species look similar to the Berghia?

thanks for you time
mary

[freaky-lil-raver]

I wonder how much the color of the aiptasia they eat effects the color of the cerata.

I remember reading somewhere that there was something in the aiptasia that would effect the color of the cerata.

now if that were the case, then maybe the anamones I think my be another species of aiptasia just might be. they are more purple in color than the ones that came on the LR I purchased. those are brown.

the unknown slugs and the purple anemones both were collected by me from the same place.

hum.. let me try to get some more pics.

thanks
mary

[rshimek]

Originally posted by freaky-lil-raver

Hi,

well I did a lil more research on Stomatella. Looks much like mine, but mine is more of a pale pink, purple, and grey color.

The color is immaterial. The full name for the critter is Stomatella varia, the "varia" means variable, and refers to the color. They come in virtually every color of the rainbow.

[/b]but of the pics I have seen of the Berghia they look just like them, aside from thier coloraton.[/b]

Well, actually the cerata look quite different in shape.

they are very tiny, maybe 1/8 of an inch in length right now. I will try to get a few more pics from other angles.

Berghia of that size will not have as many cerata nor will they have them in the pattern that yours does.

what other species look similar to the Berghia?

Can't tell you. Literally hundreds; the Aeolidacea (the suborder of the nudibranchs that contains these animals is huge, with probably several thousand species). Many small ones are of this same general shape.

I wonder how much the color of the aiptasia they eat effects the color of the cerata.

It can effect the ceratal color to some extent, generally it changes the color of the whole snail.

Where did you collect them?

[freaky-lil-raver]

I collected them at "Point of rocks" in Sarasota Florida. right along the Gulf of Mexico. they were collected on thanksgiving day.

Now I am excited to find out what I have. the wonders of the reef!! so great!

I figured the color of the"cap snails" was pretty variable.

thank you so much for trying to help me out!!

mary

[rshimek]

Originally posted by freaky-lil-raver

Hi,

Now I am excited to find out what I have. the wonders of the reef!! so great!

Well, they are wonders, but not wonders of the reef. These animals are part of the subtropical fauna of the Gulf of Mexico, not coral reefs, although they will live in reef tanks. :D You may have some locally published guides to the sea life of the area, and these may help with the identification. Alternatively, I suggest you contact some biologist at a local college or university, they may also be able to help you.

Good luck!

:D

[freaky-lil-raver]

kool and thanks for the ideas

mary