Montipora eating nudibranchs

[Lightsluvr]

Well after not having ANY issues with these creatures on my Montis, suddenly they showed up munching one of my larger plating Montis.

One thing about these predators, they can't hide - their presence on the coral flesh is easily seen as they eat their way across the plate.

I completely removed that coral from the tank, fragged it and dipped the frags in a solution of saltwater and Lugols. I examined closely for eggs and toothbrushed off anything that even remotely looked like a nudbranch egg.

I will continue to watch the frags for reinfestation in my frag tank. Of course I will also watch the other montis in my DT that to date do not show any infestation. It is amazing to me that one monti could be attacked while a different type and color just inches away could be unscathed by the critters.

If the treatment didn't kill the coral, hopefully I will be able to reintroduce the frags back into my DT after a reasonable quarantine time.

LL

P.S. - Do these nudibranchs have any natural enemies that prefer them in their diet? (ie. wrasses, etc.)

 

[pwhitby]

All wrasses in the halichioeres family eat them. Yellow and Christmas wrasses are the two I like

 

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14215972#post14215972 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pwhitby
All wrasses in the halichioeres family eat them. Yellow and Christmas wrasses are the two I like

Thanks Paul - with all the Montis I am growing, I think it's time to take a look at a Christmas Wrasse. I have always liked them.

I guess the six line wrasse is not a member of that family is it?

LL

 

[pwhitby]

six lines will eat them as well. But no where near as fast the other 2.
personally, christmas/ornate/pinkface/melanurus - they get names mixed up all the time- are nice looking but absolutely voracious eaters. The ones I have eat all the food before the others get a chance.

yellows do good, grow slower and sem more adept as squezzing between folds of a montipora.

P.

 

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14216064#post14216064 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pwhitby
six lines will eat them as well. But no where near as fast the other 2.
personally, christmas/ornate/pinkface/melanurus - they get names mixed up all the time- are nice looking but absolutely voracious eaters. The ones I have eat all the food before the others get a chance.

yellows do good, grow slower and sem more adept as squezzing between folds of a montipora.

P.

I see there quite a few pretenders to the Christmas Wrasse name - I should be looking for the one(s) in the Halichioeres family, correct sir?

LL

 

[mskohl]

Yes.

They all have a level 4 (good) suitability for the aquarium, according to the Marine Fishes book.

I have the melanurus that I got from Paul and a golden wrasse (called coris, but not a coris).

They also eat the snails that threaten clams.
Great fish that earn their keep.

 

[Lightsluvr]

ha-wrasse?

ha-wrasse?

Will these guys bother (or eat) my cleaner shrimp?

LL

 

[Cichlid-Dave]

My 6 line leaves my 3 sexy shrimp alone. I did have four but lost one somewhere. I did add the 6 line after the shrimp.

 

[gimmic]

our sixline has dissapeared
Also two twin spots have vanished, Im not sure where they went at all- I'm kind of wondering if they got into the overflow and got jammed up in the plumbing.

Then again, maybe they croaked and the hermits and snails devour the corpses..

 

[dugg]

Do you have any serpant stars, or brittle stars. They love to catch them sleeping at night and dine. The brittle stars are far less likely, but i have had one that developed a taste for fish.

 

[mskohl]

The wrasses did not bother my shrimp.