Fringe-Back Nudibranch - Dondice Occidentalis - Hydroid Lawn Mower?

[imfortney]

I cannot find anything about anyone keeping one of these in their aquarium. From everything I have read they eat Tubularia sp, Eudendrium sp, and Zoobotryon sp. I cannot find anything that says they will eat corals. Does anyone have any experience with them?

I am thinking about collecting one and putting it in my tank.

Generic picture of the Fringeback Nudibranch - Dondice occidentalis







Sources:

http://www.seaslugforum.net/showall/dondocci

http://www.theveliger.org/nudibranch_food.html

Reef Creature Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas/Paul Humann and Ned Deloach; page 307

 

[Noah 123]

Do you know the maximum size of it? If it grows huge it's probably not reef safe, but if it's small it probably is. If a nudibranch is not very colourful, which that one doesn't seem to be, it's probably safe. Brightly coloured ones are usually the dangerous ones.

 

[imfortney]

They grow 1/2" - 1" their coloration varies but nothing like a Painted Elysia Nudibranch.

 

[Noah 123]

You should be OK. I did a ton of research, and they are carnivorous, but mostly prey on things like hydroids. You can try it, but I'm not sure what you'll feed it?

 

[imfortney]

I'll ship it to who ever needs it next, or I'll throw (gently release) it back in the mangroves

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I'll ship it to who ever needs it next, or I'll throw (gently release) it back in the mangroves

You don't want to release it back into the wild. There's a chance of releasing a non native pathogen from your tank into the local waters.

 

[imfortney]

Hmmm that's something I didn't think of. Good point. Who wants it next?

 

[pagojoe]

They don't have terribly long lifespans anyway. You likely won't get many "who's next" cycles if you catch an adult one.

 

[imfortney]

Well there we go the

 

[EvilMel]

There was a time in my reefing life when this would have been music to my ears. I hope never ever again. hah hah...never never never again.