Dolabella Seahare confused??

[thebkramer]

My dolabella is hiding during day??
He is new, got him for algae of course. First couple days he was out during day and hid at night. Now last night he was out eating?? Today he is hiding under rocks. Is he in trouble or is this normal??

 

[Elysia]

According to certain posts in the seaslugforum about Dolabella auricularia habits in the wild, the animals in some locations seem to be out during the day, while those in other locations seem to bury under the substrate and wait until nightfall before they emerge to feed. I guess it could have something to do with the predators that are common to each local. These sea hares inhabit seagrass beds and muddy/sandy (i.e. soft bottom) lagoons, so burrying comes naturally, I think. Just keep an eye on the sea hare, and make sure that you see it moving at least once every 24 hours. In my experience, when they pass on, its not as though they are going to float, and they can be quite the bioload on a tank.