black lipods? - Page 2

Brent RH · 01/22/2009, 06:50 PM

The thing I don't understand is if the eat algae? Why they wouldn't eat algae from some corals as I read in a book.?? A reef question.. I wouldn'd care about them if it were not for my corals

michellejy · 01/22/2009, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Elysia
Michelle: understood; if you read my post above, I believe they eat film algae.

Yeah, I read it as you knew they eat film algae but hoped they ate hair algae as well. I think I've lost the ability to understand basic posts these days.

michellejy · 01/22/2009, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Brent RH
The thing I don't understand is if the eat algae? Why they wouldn't eat algae from some corals as I read in a book.?? A reef question.. I wouldn'd care about them if it were not for my corals

I don't ever see them get near the corals in my tank, and I can actually see a few of them from where I am as I type this. However, if they do eat algae off of corals, what would make that a bad thing? I mean, assuming they are getting bad stuff off of the corals without eating the coral itself?

As I said, I got all of my live rock from a single source, so I KNOW that every elephant slug/scutus/whatever your preferred name for them is came from a long established, thriving reef tank. If she had an anemone, sps, lps, palys, zoas, etc with no problems, why would I believe that they were harmful, especially when my own observations lead me to believe otherwise?

Elysia · 01/23/2009, 02:14 PM

Hee Hee, I hold out hope that everything will eat hair algae!

Brent, are you concerned about the symbiotic algae that is in the coral? Very few critters eat coral to get to that stuff -- the only ones that I can think of are parrotfish. Its as though most animals don't even know the algae is in there -- the relationship is symbiotic because the coral lives off of some of the algae's cast offs, and the algae is protected by the coral's tissue.
Like Michelle posted, if your corals have an algal film growing on them, then you'll want it off, so the snail eating that film would be a good thing.
Scutus spp. have probably received a bad rap because they have been seen cleaning an algal film off a coral -- an animal on another doesn't mean that animal is eatting the other, just like a crab may be accused of killing a fish when it is scavengering its dead body.

Brent RH · 01/23/2009, 05:33 PM

my concern would be of the internal algae that I read of them going after. The start of this thread I guess. They are a good conversation piece so i'd like them to stay if they are ok. I have a book called REEF AQUARIUM FISHES---BY SCOTT W MICHAEL. There is a book identical to this only for inverts at my LFS. I would take it with a grain of salt if this book I have for fish weren't so helpful and seemingly accurate.

Elysia · 01/24/2009, 12:34 PM

Shimek's book? What page? I can't find anything about them in his book. The only thing that he has that is similar is the egg "cowrie," Ovulidae family, which isn't really similar but has a white shell and black mantle and does eat coral. But that isn't the same thing as the Scutus.

Brent RH · 01/24/2009, 03:28 PM

ok, i don't have the book but have read through it at the LFS

Elysia · 01/24/2009, 03:56 PM

Here you go, Brent:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rs/index.php

Scroll down to the picture of the keyhole limpet, and then begin reading. The particular species mentioned may not be the same (as the hitchhikers get larger than the ones mentioned, or it could be that the max. size listed is incorrect) but the genus is.

This article was written by Dr. Shimek.

Brent RH · 01/24/2009, 06:58 PM

The ones in your link are certainly not what I am seeing in my LFS' book. None the less. I gona duke it out.

Elysia · 01/24/2009, 09:30 PM

The LFS's book is a pocket expert guide like the fish book, right? Marine invertebrates: 500+ essential-to-know aquarium species by Ronald Shimek. I have the same book, sitting in front of me. The page I linked to, it was also written by Ronald Shimek.

I couldn't find anything in the book about the Scutus snail. But I did find stuff in the link. I was just trying to show you that even Dr. Shimek has good things to say about Scutus snails.

I think you mis-identified your creature when looking it up in the invertebrate book. It is possible that you thought that the Ovula ovum on p. 307 was your animal, as they look similar to cowries (which is what someone assumed you were talking about earlier.) This is my guess, or else I missed where Scutus spp. are mentioned in the book.

Brent RH · 01/25/2009, 12:32 AM

Ok your right, my mistake. thanks for investigating !!!!

Elysia · 01/25/2009, 05:54 PM

Hey, no problem. Just really want clemency for these very cool snails. I hope you'll be able to enjoy them, now.

Brent RH · 01/25/2009, 07:10 PM

Thanks for all your help

01/22/2009, 06:50 PM	#26
Brent RH Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: central Minnesota Posts: 311	The thing I don't understand is if the eat algae? Why they wouldn't eat algae from some corals as I read in a book.?? A reef question.. I wouldn'd care about them if it were not for my corals

01/23/2009, 02:14 PM	#29
Elysia Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Central PA Posts: 1,718	Hee Hee, I hold out hope that everything will eat hair algae! Brent, are you concerned about the symbiotic algae that is in the coral? Very few critters eat coral to get to that stuff -- the only ones that I can think of are parrotfish. Its as though most animals don't even know the algae is in there -- the relationship is symbiotic because the coral lives off of some of the algae's cast offs, and the algae is protected by the coral's tissue. Like Michelle posted, if your corals have an algal film growing on them, then you'll want it off, so the snail eating that film would be a good thing. Scutus spp. have probably received a bad rap because they have been seen cleaning an algal film off a coral -- an animal on another doesn't mean that animal is eatting the other, just like a crab may be accused of killing a fish when it is scavengering its dead body.

01/23/2009, 05:33 PM	#30
Brent RH Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: central Minnesota Posts: 311	my concern would be of the internal algae that I read of them going after. The start of this thread I guess. They are a good conversation piece so i'd like them to stay if they are ok. I have a book called REEF AQUARIUM FISHES---BY SCOTT W MICHAEL. There is a book identical to this only for inverts at my LFS. I would take it with a grain of salt if this book I have for fish weren't so helpful and seemingly accurate.

01/24/2009, 12:34 PM	#31
Elysia Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Central PA Posts: 1,718	Shimek's book? What page? I can't find anything about them in his book. The only thing that he has that is similar is the egg "cowrie," Ovulidae family, which isn't really similar but has a white shell and black mantle and does eat coral. But that isn't the same thing as the Scutus.

01/24/2009, 03:28 PM	#32
Brent RH Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: central Minnesota Posts: 311	ok, i don't have the book but have read through it at the LFS

01/24/2009, 03:56 PM	#33
Elysia Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Central PA Posts: 1,718	Here you go, Brent: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rs/index.php Scroll down to the picture of the keyhole limpet, and then begin reading. The particular species mentioned may not be the same (as the hitchhikers get larger than the ones mentioned, or it could be that the max. size listed is incorrect) but the genus is. This article was written by Dr. Shimek.

01/24/2009, 06:58 PM	#34
Brent RH Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: central Minnesota Posts: 311	The ones in your link are certainly not what I am seeing in my LFS' book. None the less. I gona duke it out.

01/24/2009, 09:30 PM	#35
Elysia Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Central PA Posts: 1,718	The LFS's book is a pocket expert guide like the fish book, right? Marine invertebrates: 500+ essential-to-know aquarium species by Ronald Shimek. I have the same book, sitting in front of me. The page I linked to, it was also written by Ronald Shimek. I couldn't find anything in the book about the Scutus snail. But I did find stuff in the link. I was just trying to show you that even Dr. Shimek has good things to say about Scutus snails. I think you mis-identified your creature when looking it up in the invertebrate book. It is possible that you thought that the Ovula ovum on p. 307 was your animal, as they look similar to cowries (which is what someone assumed you were talking about earlier.) This is my guess, or else I missed where Scutus spp. are mentioned in the book.

01/25/2009, 12:32 AM	#36
Brent RH Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: central Minnesota Posts: 311	Ok your right, my mistake. thanks for investigating !!!!

01/25/2009, 05:54 PM	#37
Elysia Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Central PA Posts: 1,718	Hey, no problem. Just really want clemency for these very cool snails. I hope you'll be able to enjoy them, now.

01/25/2009, 07:10 PM	#38
Brent RH Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: central Minnesota Posts: 311	Thanks for all your help