Do Sea Hares sleep on the sandbed ?

[pammy]

I bought a Sea Hare 11 days ago. From the moment I put him in my tank, he went to town chomping on GHA. About 8 days after I put him in my tank, I found him curled up in a fetal position on the sandbed. I thought....oh oh...this can't be good....is he dying or is he sleeping? I know they can be bad news if they die in your tank, so I thought for a second that maybe I should stick him in the freezer before he dies in my tank, but then thought, but what if he's just sleeping?? I thought maybe they gorge until they can't eat anymore, and then sleep for a day. I picked him up and put him on the rock, and he opened up some and attached to the rock. He stretched out a bit, but didn't look right. I figured I'd keep a close eye on him for the next day or two. Then he vanished for two full days. I thought that he definitely must have died and I lost my chance to get him out of my tank before decomposing. Then I look tonight, and find him happily munching on some GHA on my overflow. So, is it normal for them to just curl up and lie on the sandbed like that? Has anyone actually seen their Sea Hare sleeping? Neat little creature.

 

[LeslieH]

Yes. They'll also burrow under the sand or rocks & stay there for days.

 

[pammy]

Well good thing I didn't panic then when I thought he was dying !

Yes. They'll also burrow under the sand or rocks & stay there for days.

 

[merkurmaniac]

What is the item that looks like a sea hare, but is 1/4" - 1/2" long. I see it's obround foot on the glass, and then you can see a small circular mouth pressed to the glass, just in front of the foot. Is this a baby sea hare, or a relative. I have a few, like 3 or 4, with another that is approaching 3/4" in length.

 

[LeslieH]

Merkurmaniac - with that kind of mouth it's a snail of some sort. Why don't you put one into a shallow dish with water & take a close-up photo of it? That way we'll be able to give you a better id.

 

[merkurmaniac]

O.K., I will try to do that. They're mostly nocturnal. They are also a couple of my favorite occupants of my tank. I seem to be fascinated by the roster of my clean up crew. How is a Chiton's mouth configured ?

 

[pagojoe]

A chiton's mouth is configured like a regular grazing snail mouth, similar to what you described. You can usually see the girdle pressed down around the perimeter if it's a chiton, and most of them move very slowly.

Cheers,



Don

 

[merkurmaniac]

I snapped a couple of pics of this guy tonight. Forgive me if he is some super common, plain ole snail.

 

[pagojoe]

It is one of the most common hitchhikers, although they are pretty hard to find if you are looking for them. It's an algae grazer in family Trochidae, Stomatella varia.

Cheers,



Don

 

[LeslieH]

Yup, I had a feeling it was Stomatella!

 

[merkurmaniac]

Thanks Leslie and Don, its nice to know what I have got in my tank.

Don, are you on Marshreef in Houston ?

 

[pagojoe]

Nah, my work schedule and off-work schedule wouldn't let me make the meetings. I can't even play in the Scrabble club or attend the shell club meetings. But, I can see light at the end of the tunnel LOL.