Berghiaverrucicornis (Costa, A. 1867) [Flabellina]
Distribution - Mediterranean sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Description – A white-colored sea slug with beige colour at the base of its gill filaments. After feeding, these will darken to a brown color. Size up to 3 cm.
Behaviour – In nature, it is a shy species, hiding on crevices and coming out at night to feed on Aipatsia. In the aquarium it will also avoid the light. After a while, as the number of aipatsia decreases and the number of berghia increases they will venture in the light looking for food. Cultured berghia are reef safe, compatible with other reef invertebrates and corals.
Temperature – The ideal temperature profile is from 22 ºC to 25 ºC. Cultured specimens have temperature tolerance and are suitable for any aquarium, from 30 ºC down to 10 ºC.
Feeding – Cultured specimens are raised solely on an Aiptasia diet. Besides eating most Aiptasia sp. the nudibranchs Berghia verrucicornis may also prey on Actinothoe and Sagartia sp.
Special details – It is ideal to have a pair on the aquarium refuge box and let its offspring migrate to the main aquarium on their own to eliminate the aipatsia plague.
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class GASTROPODA Cuvier, 1797 Subclass Opisthobranchia Milne-Edwards, 1848
Order NUDIBRANCHIA de Blainville, 1814 Suborder AEOLIDINA Odhner, 1934
Family Aeolidiidae D'Orbigny, 1834
Genus Berghia Trinchese, 1877
Species verrucicornis (Costa, A. 1867) [Flabellina]
August 2003. reserved rigths.