Slug damage can be diagnosed by the slime left behind on the leaves or the presence of young slugs tucked between the leaves and stem. Slugs are nocturnal pests, lurking beneath shady plants by day and munching the delectable lettuce leaves by night. The lettuce slug resembles a nudibranch, but it is not closely related to that clade of gastropods; it is classified as a sacoglossan Id really like to put a lettuce sea slug in my BC14, but Im relatively certain there wont be enough nuisance type algae to support it. The coloration of the Lettuce Sea Slug generally ranges from green, … A large number of slugs can make short work of a newly planted garden. The sea slugs have oral tentacles at the edge of the mouth that are used to help locate food; they also have rhinophores, which are tentacles on top of the head that sense chemicals in the water. MERGE CANCEL. Snails and slugs are gastropods, belonging to the phylum Mollusca.They come in all different shapes, colors and sizes, but they all share the common feature of having a shell and a foot which they use to move around. Do slugs eat lettuce? Some of the green algae gets shuttled off to make a home in those fleshy appendages (called parapodia). The Lettuce Sea Slug is an unusual and entertaining addition to the reef aquarium. Nudibranchs get their bright colors from the food they eat. Always remember, too, that a stray hole here or there will have little impact on plant health or garden beauty. already exists. Slugs eat a diverse range of plants, including the leaves of vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants in your yard. Its body is green and wavy very closely resembling a leaf of lettuce. They are carnivorous, so that prey includes sponges, coral, anemones, hydroids, barnacles, fish eggs, sea slugs, and other nudibranchs. ... What do sea slugs feed on? The tentacles on Aiptasia is longer and more slender. Like all invertebrates they are sensitive to higher levels of nitrates and can not tolerate any copper based medications. Nudibranchs are picky eaters—individual species or families of nudibranchs may eat only one kind of prey. SAVE CANCEL. The Lettuce Nudibranch, Tridachia crispata, also known as the Lettuce Sea Slug, is a well-equipped algae eater that gets energy from the photosynthetic algae it consumes. Considering how small they are, slugs can do an awful lot of damage in a garden. It is not that they don’t occasionally make their way into the ornamental fish trade — they do. While you can address this issue by putting down baits, repellents, etc., perhaps the best way to solve the problem is to grow plants that slugs do not eat (or that they eat less often, at least). What do sea slugs eat? Go. In their wake, they leave behind thin slimy trails and large, jagged holes on the leaves. Tank Recommendations: Aquarium Pump intakes, wavemakers, and drains must be screened so harm can't come to the Lettuce Sea Slug, so care should be taken to screen these off. Surprisingly, hand-picking slugs does a great deal to help get rid of them. The word "nudibranch" comes from the Latin nudus "naked" and the Ancient Greek βράγχια (bránkhia) "gills". What Do Snails Eat In The Wild? Elysia crispata, common name the lettuce sea slug, is a large and colorful species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk. science math history literature technology health law business All Sections. Both are common pest anemones but the Majano have shorter more stubby tentacles. May 28, 2002 From: Bill Ballard I caught a sea slug on the northern Gulf of Mexico coast today and gave it to my daughter. If not, does anyone know of any other convenient supplements ? ... What do the slugs eat? Berghia sea slugs only eat Aiptasia, they do not eat Majano. The sea slug eats green algae , but not all of the algae they eat is digested. already exists as an alternate of this question. The Lettuce Sea Slug is captivating not only for its interesting shape but also for its purposeful and comical manner in which it creeps along your reef aquarium. They will even take the chlorophyll from the algae and incorporate it into its own tissue. In my early days of marine aquariumkeeping, there used to be more sea slugs available to hobbyists. Elysia diomedea is another beautiful lettuce slug that is extremely difficult to distinguish from E. crispata. ? The green coloring is what gives this mollusk it's common name, resembling a head of leafy green lettuce. It has highly folded parapodia (side appendages), which give it a ruffled appearance similar to lettuce. It’s best done at night when they are out. Could its diet be supplemented with chaeto trimmings from my fuge ?? Would you like to merge this question into it? Sea slugs are well-known to divers and underwater photographers, but are less familiar to aquarists. They eat grass and sea slugs eat seaweed. Yet, many stores refuse to carry them because they tend to be difficult to keep and are naturally short-lived, even when they have an adequate captive microhabitat. Sea Slugs in the Trade. It is important to make sure that your aquarium is infested with Aiptasia and not Majano Anemones before you get Berghia.