Description
A species of sea slug, dorid nudibranch, and shellless marine gastropod mollusk belonging to the Phyllidiidae family is called Phyllidia varicosa. This species is big, reaching a minimum height of 115 mm. Its numerous (3 to 6), longitudinal, tuberculate notal ridges serve as an identifying feature. The tubercles’ bases and ridges are blue-gray in tone. The tubercles have yellow caps. A black foot stripe runs along the sole of the foot. 27 to 30 lamellae make up the rhinophoral clavus.
Geographical Distribution
The Indo-West Pacific Oceans, including the central Pacific and the Red Sea, have a vast distribution of this species.
Keeping as Pet
Water Requirements
Water requirements include the following: a pH range of 8.1 to 8.2, an alkalinity range of 2.5 meq/l, a calcium range of 380 to 430 mg/l, a specific gravity range of 1.024 to 1.026, a phosphate range of 0.015 mg/l, and a nitrate range of 15 mg/l.
Captive Care
This month’s species is an animal that, although being frequently found for sale, probably no one can genuinely care for. It serves as a reminder that practically all nudibranchs are inappropriate for aquariums. Most of these are little, less than 3 inches (8 cm) long, shellless slugs that resemble snails.
Feeding
Nudibranchs eat other living things. Depending on the species, its lifespan is usually much shorter in an aquarium than it is in the wild because their natural food source is either completely unavailable or scarce. They are specialized feeders that may exclusively feed on one species of a certain group of animals. They are predatory animals that typically feed on a particular food source, such as tunicates, anemones, hydroids, gorgonians, or sponges. For instance, it is not sufficient to know that a nudibranch consumes sponges because it frequently only consumes one or a small number of sponge species.
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