Sea Hare
The Sea Hare (Aplysia Sp.) gets its name from the small motion sensing organs on its top side that, with some imagination, look like rabbit ears. This odd looking herbivore is very good at removing problem hair algae in an aquarium, but the tank owner must be prepared with live macro algae or dried seaweed when all of the hair algae in the tank has been consumed. Generally more than one Sea Hare per tank is not recommended unless dealing with a very large tank.
When under stress, it is possible that this nudibranch can emit a toxic dye to keep potential predators away. It is important that this dye is removed as quickly from the tank as possible in order to avoid harm to other items in the tank. Heavy chemical filtration is a must when keeping a Sea Hare. This organism likes to burrow, and therefore a sand substrate is required in any tank housing one.
It is important to note that due to the potential of toxins to be released from this invertebrate, it is recommended only for advanced aquarists with a well established and stable aquarium.
