Weird black slug/nudi? ID PLEASE

[ScotchMaster]

What is this thing? It is in my tank and seems to be eating algae...Thanks

<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/700/img17118wo.jpg" border="0" width="512" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

 

[B16A2NER]

Almost looks like a giant flatworm. How big is it?

 

[Gooli]

dude..i got the same thing..mine has a white vertical stripe on top
comes out at night

 

[rbdesigns]

I think it's a black scutus. http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=scutus

 

[NicoleC]

Yep, scutus limpet. Mary at Seacrop cultures and sells them; consider yourself lucky for getting a cool hitchhiker. I have one, two, going on for at least 3 years now, so they are fairly long-lived, it seems. They are predominantly noctural, so you may go for a while without seeing them, and then suddenly there they are every day.

They eat diatom films as possibly some other film algaes. A very few have been reported to -- or rather accused of -- choosing to eat soft encrusting corals when they run out of algae. The experts, however, disagree and think it sticks to algae.

 

[jeffrey_ropp]

Yup...I can confirm what NicoleC and rbdesigns have offered. My scutus arrived as a hitchhiker as well. Mine sticks to algae and has grown very rapidly. He is now about 2-1/2 inches long. He's out right now, cruising on the acrylic doing his bit of clean-up. His radula looks just like that of many snails.

Enjoy!
Jeff

 

[psst]

i had two of this. 1 black and 1 white. freaked me out when i moved my coral, and bam, there he was. so i killed him. i thought it was "bad" for my tank.

 

[USMCARTY42]

Ahh the keyhole limpet. I have one as well and it doesn't seem to harm much of anything (to include the algae much to my dismay). Yet, perhaps I will take it as a good sign of water quality and community as suggested by a few reputable sources.

 

[Gooli]

i dont think it's a keyhole limpet

 

[reefpeep2004]

My scutus finally disappeared after 16 months. I guess it died of old age, or possible a nasty hairy crab I have that I've never been able to catch

 

[slavearm]

I removed one of those when I saw it firmly attached to my Orange Cap. Banned it to the toilet.

 

[karl~23]

it looks like batman

 

[ScotchMaster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7305472#post7305472 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by slavearm
I removed one of those when I saw it firmly attached to my Orange Cap. Banned it to the toilet.

I hope it doesnt hurt my different colored monti's as those are one of my favorite corals!

 

[GinaSofia]

it's also known as "fleshy limpet" It's not a keyhole limpet.This is what a keyhole looks like:

 

[USMCARTY42]

ahhh... so that white slit at the top... not a shelled cover then?

 

[GinaSofia]

the white slit on the fleshy limpit is a shell showing.The keyhole limpet looks more like an upside down waffle cone.

 

[USMCARTY42]

but less appetizing... or, perhaps?

 

[simon.007]

How do they propagate?

Simon

 

[Danger731]

mine is nocturnal as well - hitchiker, seems fine

 

[ScotchMaster]

The funny thing is my scutus is around and about all throughout the day....I hope he isnt starving for food or anything