xenia-eating nudibranch

[gryphix]

My Xenia has looked like it's dying off / melting away... turned over the rock it is attached to, and found this guy.

 

Is it a nudibranch? Do they lay eggs - i.e. should I be worried about more appearing in future??

[gryphix]

Another shot...

[NewbieReefer]

that thing is crazy..probaly would have beter luck asking on RC

[Farrah]

That's awesome... it even LOOKS like Xenia!

[JsL]

Sorry to hear about your xenia. But that nudi is sooo cool.

[winniebagel]

You should start a xenia removing side business for fellow reefers that can't seem to stop xenia in your town. Start charging on a per hour use for that little fellow.

 

It looks awesome, but sorry about your xenia.

[uscreef]

wow... how big is that thing?

[birdman204]

www.seaslugforum.net

Looks like an Aeolid Sp. nudi... Yes, most are specialized feeders, and will end up adapting to look like their host.

Cool animal!

[Farrah]

He's so cool that I'd set up a dedicated tank just for him and has favorite food!

[gryphix]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

uscreef: he's pretty big - just under 2".

[BKtomodachi]

Put him in the RC selling forum... many people want to eradicate xenia, and you dont.

[Alexraptor]

i got a couple of those with my LR once, picked em off and killed em all

[calvinci]

That is xenia eating nudi. I had one in my xenia for weeks without me noticing it, I was looking at it for many day and think why this chunk of xenia looks a bit different. It's so well camoflage.

 

Until one late nite, I see this different looking xenia moving and crawl out.. got I am thrill.. later I found out it's eating my xenia so I remove it. Few days later, I found several smaller version of this and remove them all..

 

Now that the xenia is growing like nobody bussiness and how I wish I have keep some of these.

[Caesar777]

Yeah, he's awesome. Don't kill him, sell him on RC.

 

I like how you can tell it's an aeolid without even seeing its face! Still, it's pretty clear that it's a Xeniid-eating nudi, considering that it looks just like them, lives among them, and they've been in poor condition prior to his discovery.

 

Check the Xnia for more--and look for tiny ones, too. Most are egg-layers, though I wouldn't worry too much about them. Either way, they'd be near the Xenia.