Abalone??

[1bigstud]

Recently I have found a creautre in my tank. It looks like a slug and has black tentacles thats the best description I can give. Unfortunatley I dont have a digital camera or else I would put up a pic. Can anyone tell me what this is and if it is harmful in a reef tank?? Or even take a guess or post pics of what they think it might be.

[Delphinus]

You mentioned "Abalone" in your thread title, so I am assuming that in addition to looking like a slug, there is an abalone like shell.

Sounds like a Stomatella sp. type snail, they look like they have teeney-tiny abalone shells.

They're awesome to have, they eat algae off your glass and stuff, and they are able reproduce in our tanks, which is cool.

Here is some additional reading, see if this is your mystery animal...

http://www.reefcorner.com/SpecimenSheets/stomatella_varia.htm


Here's a picture from the Reefs.org HitchHiker FAQ (http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/pages/main_pages/faq_rock2.htm):
http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/img/stomatella.jpg

Does that look like your mystery hitchhiker?

I seem to remember reading somewhere once that supposedly they come in on rock from Indo...

[1bigstud]

Thanks alot for the feed back. Ok I dont think it is an abalone the closest specimen I have been able to look up was a velvet sea slug So I'm assuming it is some kind of slug. That said I hope it's reef safe.

[1bigstud]

As far as a shell goes it looks like there may be one under it's skin. It seems to be covered in a black film this deos not appear to be algae but it's skin. On the under side it looks like an abalone.

[christyf5]

It might be a Scutus species. Here is some information and pics. I hope this helps!

http://www.seaslugforum.net/scutus.htm#m1228




Christy :)

[1bigstud]

Thanks alot I'm pretty sure you've cracked the mystery :biggrin: I just hope he doesnt eat sponges and is reef safe.

[Buccaneer]

I have one too and he is great .. cruises all night eating algae

Cheers

[1bigstud]

Hey christy I checked out youre site great tank!!