Blue Dot Sea Hare

BassinWV · 02-04-2010, 06:16 PM

We recently purchased a Blue Dot Sea Hare (Bursatella Leachii). The first day we couldnt find it in the tank, but today when I got home it was attached to our MagnaFloat.

I carefully moved the float, and the hare had a long yellowish strand come from behind its head on its back strung on the float.

There was a pile of this "stuff" on the float and a long strand connecting the hare to it.

Does anyone know what this is??? Is it harmful, because the clown fish ended up biting at it and breaking the strand!

acemow · 02-05-2010, 07:39 AM

I just saw a picture of that same yellow stringy stuff taken by another member and it turned out to be eggs from the sea hare. I'm not sure if they're viable yet but maybe yours will be. Also, the sea hare needs to eat nori strips, they are vacuum cleaners in the food department, I'd say watch to make sure it eats well, they tend to starve easily, I learned the hard way with mine after it ate all the hair algae in tank. Happy reefing!

divott · 02-05-2010, 07:42 AM

and if thats the case with eggs , definitely want to keep it alive for the free food for the fish also.

a little caviar perhaps . lol

amcarrig · 02-05-2010, 07:52 AM

When sea cucumbers are threatened they expel their intestines.

divott · 02-05-2010, 07:54 AM

is that kinda along the lines of "s****ing" ones pants?

amcarrig · 02-05-2010, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by divott

is that kinda along the lines of "s****ing" ones pants?

No. Sea hares don't wear pants

And it's not poop that I'm talking about. It's the poop machine

pagojoe · 02-06-2010, 02:20 PM

It's thought to be a species-survival instinct. When many of the slugs and nudibranchs are stressed or near death, they lay their eggs, even when there is almost no hope that they might be fertilized. A response like that typically indicates that your animal will be dead soon.

There are many similar cases documented on the Sea Slug Forum, feel free to use the search there:

The Sea Slug Forum - Home Page

Cheers,

Don

amcarrig · 02-06-2010, 02:50 PM

So no chance that it expelled it's intestines or did I get my information wrong?

pagojoe · 02-07-2010, 03:45 PM

No, you got the expelled intestines thing right, but sea cucumbers/holothurians are the ones that do that as a defensive measure rather than sacoglossan sea slugs and nudibranchs. They aren't very closely related, as the slugs and nudibranchs are molluscs and the sea cucumbers are echinoderms, like starfish. The emergency-egg-laying thing is pretty well documented among molluscs, though.

Cheers,

Don

amcarrig · 02-08-2010, 06:15 AM

Great info as usual Don! Thanks!

02-04-2010, 06:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
BassinWV Plankton Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 23 Skin: Mint Karma: 1	Blue Dot Sea Hare We recently purchased a Blue Dot Sea Hare (Bursatella Leachii). The first day we couldnt find it in the tank, but today when I got home it was attached to our MagnaFloat. I carefully moved the float, and the hare had a long yellowish strand come from behind its head on its back strung on the float. There was a pile of this "stuff" on the float and a long strand connecting the hare to it. Does anyone know what this is??? Is it harmful, because the clown fish ended up biting at it and breaking the strand!

02-05-2010, 07:39 AM	#2 (permalink)
acemow Purple Spiny Lobster Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cape Coral, Florida Age: 46 Posts: 468 Skin: Dark Karma: 2951	I just saw a picture of that same yellow stringy stuff taken by another member and it turned out to be eggs from the sea hare. I'm not sure if they're viable yet but maybe yours will be. Also, the sea hare needs to eat nori strips, they are vacuum cleaners in the food department, I'd say watch to make sure it eats well, they tend to starve easily, I learned the hard way with mine after it ate all the hair algae in tank. Happy reefing! _________ Am I gonna end up with gills??? 75g thread http://www.3reef.com/forums/show-off...tml#post689360

02-05-2010, 07:42 AM	#3 (permalink)
divott Whip-Lash Squid Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: holland landing, ontario ,canada Age: 49 Posts: 2,961 Skin: Classic Karma: 75826	and if thats the case with eggs , definitely want to keep it alive for the free food for the fish also. a little caviar perhaps . lol _________ 90 gal reef , 30 gal sump , 6 x 54 t5 ho , coralife super skimmer , 3 koralia ph's , carbon and phos reactors life : percula clown, one-spot foxface , coral beauty , flame angel , purple tang,red scooter blenny , kole tang corals: toadstool leather, finger leather, , 2 green star polyps, pulsing xenia , zoas , frogspawn , elegance coral, 2 lobos , black and orange sun corals

02-05-2010, 07:52 AM	#4 (permalink)
amcarrig 3reef Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: CT Age: 40 Posts: 8,236 Skin: Classic Karma: 64047	When sea cucumbers are threatened they expel their intestines. _________

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02-05-2010, 07:54 AM	#5 (permalink)
divott Whip-Lash Squid Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: holland landing, ontario ,canada Age: 49 Posts: 2,961 Skin: Classic Karma: 75826	is that kinda along the lines of "s****ing" ones pants?

02-06-2010, 02:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
pagojoe Coral Banded Shrimp Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Conroe, Texas Posts: 387 Skin: Mint Karma: 6410	It's thought to be a species-survival instinct. When many of the slugs and nudibranchs are stressed or near death, they lay their eggs, even when there is almost no hope that they might be fertilized. A response like that typically indicates that your animal will be dead soon. There are many similar cases documented on the Sea Slug Forum, feel free to use the search there: The Sea Slug Forum - Home Page Cheers, Don

02-06-2010, 02:50 PM	#8 (permalink)
amcarrig 3reef Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: CT Age: 40 Posts: 8,236 Skin: Classic Karma: 64047	So no chance that it expelled it's intestines or did I get my information wrong?

02-07-2010, 03:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
pagojoe Coral Banded Shrimp Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Conroe, Texas Posts: 387 Skin: Mint Karma: 6410	No, you got the expelled intestines thing right, but sea cucumbers/holothurians are the ones that do that as a defensive measure rather than sacoglossan sea slugs and nudibranchs. They aren't very closely related, as the slugs and nudibranchs are molluscs and the sea cucumbers are echinoderms, like starfish. The emergency-egg-laying thing is pretty well documented among molluscs, though. Cheers, Don

02-08-2010, 06:15 AM	#10 (permalink)
amcarrig 3reef Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: CT Age: 40 Posts: 8,236 Skin: Classic Karma: 64047	Great info as usual Don! Thanks!