Purple/Orange Sea Slug

[Apostle]

Hi, I’ve just seen a sea slug in the lfs. It’s purple and orange in colour. I don’t trust the advice of any lfs in my area so I’m doing a bit of research myself. I can’t find a picture of this guy anywhere online, including live aquaria so I’ve nothing to work off. I’m trying to find out if he’s reef safe and if he will let off any poison if stressed or dies. Any ideas?

Also I’ve got a few blue and red legged hermit crabs in there. Would these guys eat it? They don’t pay any attention to any of my snails. I also have some nasty hitchhiker crab in there somewhere. I think it’s a spider crab but it’s hard to id as all I ever see is the occasional leg poking out from behind a rock. This guy doesn’t appear much. It was about 6 months after I got my live rock that I first spotted him. I think he’s been the cause of a few crab deaths. I find them dead and shell less from time to time. I’m presuming it’s him anyway. Would he eat a sea slug do you think? I’m setting up my sump this weekend and I’m going to route him out and put him in there so he’s not my biggest concern. Just – is this slug reef safe and non toxic and do you think that my hermit crabs will make him a meal going off the fact they leave my snails well alone.

Thanks in advance

[charlesr1958]

Such bright colors within nudibranch are usualy a good indication that it could be very toxic, such colors are meant as a warning to predators and allows them to stay out in the open without fear of being eaten. Nudibranch almost always have specific food requirements as well, very few would be a good addition to a reef tank since they have very prey specific diets, ranging from a single species of sponge, coral, tunicates etc etc. Things that we normaly just can not provide as a food source. I many chances to bring home any number of beautifull species myself when on the reefs, but knowing their toxins and very specific food requirements, I leave them right where I see them, and ask that you do the same.

Chuck

[Kgoarmy17]

http://z.about.com/d/saltaquarium/1/0/t/S/tomacsiubiapple_350.JPG

Look at that link. Is that it, or similar to it? The one at the link is a tricolor. They also come more orange/yellowish.

Its called a "Sea Apple"
Pseudocolochirus violaceaus/Paracucumaria tricolor

[Raibaru]

Is it this (http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11_03/product_info.php?products_id=314&parent_category=4&category_search=63&root_parent_id=4) or this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pyjamas_nudibranch_from_Hurghada.jpg) ??