Baby Nudis

[RogersCG]

After trudging home from work I was checking my tank out and couldn't find my Lettuce Nudibranch... Not in the sump or anywhere. Not too unusual but as I was looking I found these... At least 8 so far.... About 3-5mm long maybe... How do these things reproduce??

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s65/RogersCG/29%20Gallon/Babies/DSC_1761.jpg

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s65/RogersCG/29%20Gallon/Babies/DSC_1759.jpg

[hypoxia]

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG they're ADORABLE!

These are crispata. They lay eggs which have a five-day gestation period.

If you ever want to part with any, please please please consider me first in line!!!!!!! I love these creatures (especially with Ranch dressing!)!

[RogersCG]

LOL!! They are super cute. I don't have a lot of hair algae in there but they seem to have found it for the most part.

You bet you are first in line... I'll probably let them grow a bit first though. They are really tiny. There has to be at least 8 in there. I can't find mom,dad, mom+dad, whatever it is...

[Zibba]

That is awesome! Most people have them die in their tanks after a few months. Yours reproduces! Sweet!

[Sizzlersonthebrain]

or it got blended by a pump and the peices lived that happens alot too.

[jon_56048]

Please put me down for one if you want sell

[RogersCG]

or it got blended by a pump and the peices lived that happens alot too.

I was wondering about that since I can't seem to find the parental unit. The only thing I have is the skimmer and a Koralia 1 powerhead that it could get into. The Eheim pump has a sponge filter on the intake. The simmer is a Tunze 9010 and it would be pretty difficult for it to get into there. That pretty much leaves the powerhead... Could be I guess...

[hypoxia]

Nope, that's not how a nudi survives. They aren't like the big flatworms, where each chunk regenerates. IF there is enough for a nudi to survive they will regenerate only the piece with the head. They MUST have the pericardial sac (rudimentary heart) and then the peripodia will regenerate around the damage. They generally don't regrow to their original size. The chunks without the head will eventually die, but they can survive up to a month off the stored chloroplasts before "life" is gone. They can't move, though.

BTW, here is what the egg casing looks like. . . .
http://www.seaslugforum.net/display.cfm?id=15227

[RogersCG]

Thanks Hypoxia.... I like the idea that they actually reproduced in my aquarium much better... ;)

Are you going to the meeting on Saturday?

[hypoxia]

I will be there, as will my overeager daughter. :)

[PLNelson]

Congrats. That's really cool.

[RogersCG]

Ms. Nudi has been located. She was hanging in the sump when I got home from work.

So I hope to have a couple of babies for Hypoxia and Phil tomorrow. Jon, I don't know if these guys are big enough, or I can collect enough for them not to end up as fish food in your tank. What do you have for fish? They are tiny...

[jon_56048]

clowns,Damsel,snail and Crabs

[RogersCG]

How about we wait until they get a little size on them, then, in the spirit of the season and the new board I'll give you a couple? Assuming they survive but they do seem to be doing fine at the moment.. I'm afraid they might just end up damsel food.

[jon_56048]

thank you very much I can always put them in the fug but what ever you think is best is fine with me

[Taklu]

Alright, this morning I was trying to spot my new diamond goby that I picked up at OD coz he had the tank all messed up (well doing his job) with so much suspended matter that the water looks like it was hit by a tornado. behold! what I see is a baby nudi (same like in RogersCG pic) havent found any more yet...but the one I originally bought had survived an ordeal down the overflow & had vanished after a total or 4 days in my tank...its been about a month since then....so was it not dead? YAY