Night time Hicthhiker

This little guy comes out at night and hides once lights turn on. anybody tell me what the hell this is?

 

looks kinda like some form of nudibranch

 

good? bad?

 

It's a Scutus species, or "Shield Limpet." Occasionally someone reports that they graze across coral polyps, but most people consider them reef safe. They mainly eat algae.

The Sea Slug Forum - Elephant Slug, Shield Slug, Ducksbill Limpet (Scutus sp.)

Cheers,




Don

 

i wish it looked sumthin like this but it doesnt....my hitchhiker has an eye like opening in the center.

 

I agree it's a shield limpet, algal grazer I have 2 and star polyps and never had a problem. Nudibranchs aren't good, they fed on either corals, anemones or sponges and are usually very specific in the species they fed on. Which makes them either very undesirable (wil fed on your prized corals) or very difficult to feed and will run out of food very quickly and starve. One nudi is of use and feeds on aiptasia but they usually eventually starve.

 

are limpets closely related to nudis? there looks like there are some same characteristics. and the same as nudis, good and bads ones?

 

Not so much. The fissurellids are some of the most primitive gastropods, while the opisthobranchs are some of the most evolved. Scutus snails have a heavy, thick shell, covered by its mantle. The mantle makes it look slug-like because it usually hides the shell, or most of it. The white slit is part of the shell, visible when the mantle is slightly moved to the side. The opisthobranchs have greatly reduced shells or no shell at all.

Cheers,



Don