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Small Red Slug? Pics Included


PodRod

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I just found about 20 of these in my tank and I'm sooo hoping it's nothing bad. They are on the glass and back wall. Solid red, very small, and appear to be eating algae. I've been searching for an id for the last hour with no success.

 

Has anyone seen this before or know what it is? :scarry:

 

IMG_2065_edited-1.jpg

 

IMG_2068_edited-1.jpg

 

IMG_2075.jpg

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Does it have any flaps or folds on it? Does it just have the two antenna or is the head a hammer shape?

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Does it have any flaps or folds on it? Does it just have the two antenna or is the head a hammer shape?

 

I don't see any flaps or folds. It's shaped just like a slug you would find in the backyard and moves in a similiar pattern. As for the shape of the head, it's almost impossible to tell. It looks just like this but is solid red and extremely small.

post-17833-1212815466_thumb.jpg

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Looks like a red planaria flatworm to me.

I think they can grow to plague proportions if not kept in check, but I believe wrasses will eat them.

Don't you have a wrasse?

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I don't think its a flat worm. the body isnt really flat and the head has a different shape.

 

So what is it???

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Definitely not a flatworm. I have been researching for hours and simply can't find an id. They obviously recently hatched since I found lots more last night. I'll watch my wrasse today to see if he munches on them - hope so!

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tomshannon
Looks like a red planaria flatworm to me.

 

Red... yes

Planaria... no, there are no known marine planaria, i.e., triclad turbellaria

Flatworm... doubt it.

 

Purely a guess, but it looks as though it could be a juvenile head-shield, side-gill, or sea-slug.

 

Pretty neat though :)

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lakshwadeep

maybe a species of nudibranch, which will make it very difficult to determine it's feeding habits.

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dtfleming suggested a sea hare and I think we have a winner. I noticed 3 small raised areas (humps) on the back of the larger ones. After doing research on sea hares, I am convinced that is what I have. Is this normal? I've never heard of anyone with sea hare problems before. I ran across this, Aplysia Punctata. They really look just like this, only smaller baby versions:

 

seahare.jpg

 

There's way more than the 20 that I originally counted. From what I've read, they feed on macro algae and take on the color of what they are eating. I don't have any red macro algae in my tank. There was a little bit of red algae that came with some clams I recently purchased, but it's all gone now.

 

Any ideas on what to do from here?

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  • 5 years later...
doppelganger

Vayssierea felis. They're a type of nudibranch that prey on spirorbid worms.

 

I've had them before. Seemed to disappear after a while. Still got lots of spirorbids. Geez this thread is old tho.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Vayssierea felis. They're a type of nudibranch that prey on spirorbid worms.

 

I've had them before. Seemed to disappear after a while. Still got lots of spirorbids. Geez this thread is old tho.

 

Like

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