Before and After - Bryopsis Eaters

[Samw]

The before photo was taken 2 days ago. The after photo was taken today. Looks like my Lettuce nudibranches are doing the job eating the bryopsis hair algae along the sand. You can see the algae along the sand and glass in the first photo and its all gone in the 2nd photo.

Nudibranch #1 is in the first photo. Nudibranch #1 and #2 can be seen in the background of the second photo. I noticed the 2 nudibranches have different colors.


May 2, 2002



May 4, 2002



[ 14 May 2002, 09:43: Message edited by: Sam W ]

[Samw]

Oh yes, I am displaying the obsessive side of me. I was watching my last remaining slug eat hair algae one stub at a time. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Here, a hair stub is right between its eyes (antennae). Next, its gone. Unfortunately, at the rate they are dying, I would need 20 or 30 of them to completely eliminate my hair algae stubs.





[ 14 May 2002, 09:44: Message edited by: Sam W ]

[christyf5]

OH what I wouldn't give for a couple of those suckers to come my way. Unfortunately, nudibranchs just don't like me.

Christy [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Mak]

Don't worry keep em coming ;) !!!, I'm loving these pic's :D :D :D . Show us some of the chopped up one's (I bet you have a couple at least, cause i would) so we can get an idea of what's happening to them ;) .

[Samw]

You guys are NOT going to believe this!!!!!

The lettuce slug's head is still alive and its crawling around the rocks and glass!!!!!!!!!!!

I've captured some photos and video. These pictures are NOT doctored in any way!!! I didn't attach IMAGE tags this time for obvious reasons (the pictures are freaky).

Photo of slug's head

Video of head climbing the glass

I'm still not sure how this happened.

One thing I'm quite surprised about these slugs is that they are so soft yet they can tear, digest, and eat the tough hair algaes.

[ 14 May 2002, 09:45: Message edited by: Sam W ]

[canadawest]

You think that is freaky....

I found one of my starfish (Fromia Sp. I believe) had a missing leg one day about 4 months ago.

About a week later I found the stump of severed leg on the back glass. I left it there because I figured something in the tank would eat it as it decayed.

Turned out the stump was still alive, and now 4 months later has started to become another complete starfish. It has the one longer original arm, and now has formed a new center disk and 5 new tiny little arms have sprouted.

I have a tiny new little starfish in my tank!

PS.. the orginal starfish is doing fine, and has almost completely regrown the missing leg.

A little freak of regeneration nature in my tank!

[Samw]

That's cool Andrew. I've read about that before. That's very normal for seastars. Maybe chop off a few more arms and grow new stars and sell them? [img]smile.gif[/img]

I don't know if slugs can survive long after being decapitated though. I haven't read too much about that. I didn't see the head this morning.

[Mak]

Sam, that is too cool!!! I knew you would have something awesome... any more?

Man i'd love to see that in person :cool:

[Mak]

Well I was just checking out my tank and what do I see... the missing tip of my Brittle star inching around in the back of my tank. Glad you posted Canadawest or I probably wouldn't have known what it was :D . BTW Sam something has got to be going after them in your tank... Any suspects? What ya got in your tank?

[Samw]

Originally posted by TRIGGER_HAPPY:
Sam, that is too cool!!! I knew you would have something awesome... any more?

Man i'd love to see that in person :cool:

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Like Kirsten Dunst said to Tom Cruise in Interview With the Vampire, "I want some more".

Here's some more. Taken from last night:

Head 1

Head 2

Head 3

[ 14 May 2002, 09:44: Message edited by: Sam W ]