invert ID

[Big_Pun]

any know if this is a fuzzy chiton, it came with my system purchase. I know it mows down hair algae, but I'm scared it will starve, now that this tank is on bio pellets and all the hair algae is gone. I only see it at night every once in a while.

http://184.72.239.143/mu/a6cd0ff4-64d1-ab15.jpg

[justahobby]

How big is it? Looks like an abilone

[Mike]

It's an abalone.

[tonyydeee]

ABALONE!! love those!

try to offer it a piece of a allege strip.

[Europhyllia]

not a chiton.
what are these holes on top?

[Kristy]

The holes are respiratory. It breathes through the holes and water flows through them. Sometimes you see the fleshy part of them push up / through the holes a little. They are very interesting to watch and kind of beautifully ugly.

Chris, ours lives off the slight green film that accumulates on the glass so I suspect that yours is doing ok, but if you are concerned, I'm sure someone would want it. Mike cannot be the only one fascinated by the odd inverts.

[Europhyllia]

It is super cool! I totally would want it. But you got a big tank now so I bet it will do fine. I think I read somewhere they want very clean (low nitrate etc.) water anyway so it will probably do great in your new tank

[Big_Pun]

thanks everyone I guess I'll keep the freaky thing a while longer. still creeps me out to see it, I'm sure it can find my algae clip, I have noticed algae disappearing fast.

[tonyydeee]

If you ever get tired of it I will defiantly buy it from you! :D

[tebstan]

They are very cool! Mine did die from starvation :( There was no way to get him out to rescue him. They have a death grip on the rock. If you catch him on the glass you can slip some credit cards under it. They have two muscles instead of one like some snails, so it's super hard to get them to detach.

[dipan]

Being sold to be eaten, but some of you creative types with big tanks could try this. (http://www.giovannisfishmarket.com/fish/37-Abalone-LIVE.aspx)

Looks like they can get pretty big (though takes a long time), eat diatoms and stuff off rocks/glass when young, and larger algae when bigger. (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/abalones.htm)

[tonyydeee]

Just to add to this post~ when i was little my dad gave me a HUGE abalone shell, bigger than my hand. like 4 inches thick..

so I guess they can get big 0_o

[tebstan]

They can get big.

Overcooked abalone can be tough and chewy. They cook fast and most people are skeptical of cooking seafood for such a short amount of time.

[Joe31]

Aquarium Designs has one in one of there coral tanks. I just saw it last week.

[Big_Pun]

I like it does a great job mowing down hair algae, but the one I have is pretty big and knocks un glued coral.