Yo! Check it out!

[WheatToast]

Look what just popped up on Diver's Den! Care level is listed as "difficult" ... I wonder why.

https://www.liveaquaria.com/divers-den/product/613461/warty-sea-slug-pair&s=nlh&r=
(https://web.archive.org/web/2023101...n/product/613461/warty-sea-slug-pair&s=nlh&r=)

https://www.liveaquaria.com/divers-den/product/613358/warty-sea-slug-trio&s=nlh&r=
(https://web.archive.org/web/2023101...n/product/613358/warty-sea-slug-trio&s=nlh&r=)

 

[Subsea]

It is listed as a carnivore, what does it eat in our reef tanks?

It would probably starve in an SPS tank.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

sponges. none of my local sell sponges. been looking for one since sea stars eat them too. I have many pineapples because I over feed.

 

[piranhaman00]

What’s up with these guys?

 

[GlassMunky]

another instance of liveaquaria selling animals that they shouldnt be.....
this will absolutely die in someones tank.

"All nudibranchs are carnivorous. Their lifespan in the wild is approximately one year, depending on species, but it is usually considerably shorter in the aquarium due to their natural food source either being entirely unavailable or in short supply. They are predatory animals that usually feed on a specific food source, such as anemones, gorgonians, hydroids, tunicates, or sponges, and they are such specialized feeders that they may only feed upon one species of a particular group of animals. For example, just knowing a nudibranch eats sponges is not enough, as it will often eat only one or a few species of sponges."

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

For those wondering, these nudibranchs are highly specialized sponge eaters (they each only eat like 1-3 species of sponge, and they will starve if they don't have access to those sponges in sufficient quantities).

These ones above (and the one in the middle of the second pic that looks like them) are Phyllidia varicosa - they're known to eat the sponge Axinyssa cf. aculeata, and a Hymentactdon sp.

The pink one in the bottom right is Phyllidiella pustulosa - it feeds on Acanthella cavernosa, Acanthella variabilis, Phakellia carduus, an Axinyssa sp., and reportedly one or more species of "Stylinos" (the genus name Stylinos is not accepted at the moment; the genus has been accepted as Hymeniacidon, but the reports may be referring to species that are now accepted from other genera such as Ulosa as well). The darker pink one in the top left is probably Phyllidiella nigra (though it could potentially be P. burni as well), which feeds on Axinyssa aff. variabilis.

 

[piranhaman00]

Why collect these?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Why collect these?

People see them (or other pretty nudibranchs) and buy them without knowing their needs - it’s entirely irresponsible to collect them for sale in the hobby at this point, but people still do because unsuspecting newcomers don’t know any better and buy them.

 

[WheatToast]

another instance of liveaquaria selling animals that they shouldnt be.....
this will absolutely die in someones tank.

"All nudibranchs are carnivorous. Their lifespan in the wild is approximately one year, depending on species, but it is usually considerably shorter in the aquarium due to their natural food source either being entirely unavailable or in short supply. They are predatory animals that usually feed on a specific food source, such as anemones, gorgonians, hydroids, tunicates, or sponges, and they are such specialized feeders that they may only feed upon one species of a particular group of animals. For example, just knowing a nudibranch eats sponges is not enough, as it will often eat only one or a few species of sponges."

Exactly! I really do wonder what LiveAquaria is getting them to eat... if anything. Chances are that they have been starving for weeks.

People see them (or other pretty nudibranchs) and buy them without knowing their needs - it’s entirely irresponsible to collect them for sale in the hobby at this point, but people still do because unsuspecting newcomers don’t know any better and buy them.

There is also probably a decent amount of misinformation floating around about nudibranchs. There are some vendors that claim that Hypselodoris bullocki will feed on algae when it is an obligate sponge eater.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

For those wondering, these nudibranchs are highly specialized sponge eaters (they each only eat like 1-3 species of sponge, and they will starve if they don't have access to those sponges in sufficient quantities).

These ones above (and the one in the middle of the second pic that looks like them) are Phyllidia varicosa - they're known to eat the sponge Axinyssa cf. aculeata, and a Hymentactdon sp.

The pink one in the bottom right is Phyllidiella pustulosa - it feeds on Acanthella cavernosa, Acanthella variabilis, Phakellia carduus, an Axinyssa sp., and reportedly one or more species of "Stylinos" (the genus name Stylinos is not accepted at the moment; the genus has been accepted as Hymeniacidon, but the reports may be referring to species that are now accepted from other genera such as Ulosa as well). The darker pink one in the top left is probably Phyllidiella nigra (though it could potentially be P. burni as well), which feeds on Axinyssa aff. variabilis.

These are common here when I go diving and are sometimes sold at shops . NEVER buy a nudibranch just because it's pretty or even because the shop owner swears it ears fish poop. They don't only eat general sponges. The vast majority eat only 1 sponge species. This is absolutely irresponsible to sell them.

 

[WheatToast]

These are common here when I go diving and are sometimes sold at shops . NEVER buy a nudibranch just because it's pretty or even because the shop owner swears it ears fish poop. They don't only eat general sponges. The vast majority eat only 1 sponge species. This is absolutely irresponsible to sell them.

Plus, even if you did manage to keep one healthy, it probably would not last very long anyways since their lifespans range from a couple months to about a year (although having a steady supply through breeding, as with Berghia nudibranchs, would be a cool concept).
Sigh... oh to even imaging owning a tank with a self-sustaining population of healthy Spanish dancers (Hexabranchus sanguineus):