RE: [Killietalk] another WhatIsIt

["Richard Pierce" <Dr_Plankton at att_net>]

I would say that it is definitely a turbellarian.  Could what appears to be
a shell be the gonads?  The gonads are typically the most noticeable
internal organ of flatworms.  Basically all they do is eat and reproduce.

Given its ability to contract and expand it is very unlikely that it has a
shell.  If it did have a shell it would have to be a Gastropod mollusc and
would have more distinct internal organs than the specimens pictured.

Some turbellarians are predatory and it is quite possible that they are
eating your eggs.  Turbellarians often have a keen chemosensory ability, and
they appear to home in on brine shrimp.  They can also probably smell their
way to killifish eggs.

Rich Pierce



-----Original Message-----
From: killietalk-bounces+dr_plankton=att_net at aka.org
[mailto:killietalk-bounces+dr_plankton=att_net at aka.org]On Behalf Of
Charles Harrison
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 10:12 PM
To: killifish discussion list
Subject: [Killietalk] another WhatIsIt


One of the local Kiiiifish keepers got a couple of pair of Aphy.'s
from me a couple of years ago and has has had trouble getting eggs
from them since he got them from me.
He gave them back to me about 6 months ago.
I have had them in a tank full of mops and followed my most
successful methods to get fry from them, and nothing. The tanks on
either side of the one of the new/old fish have had GREAT results,
lots of fry!

There are some "New Animal" in the tank!

These guys are about 2 to 3 mm in length. They feel like a garden
slug when pressed against the side of the tank. They consume the
extra Brine shrimp and collect against the areas of the tank wall
where the shrimp collect when not eaten.

I have added eggs to the mops in the tank and have not seen one fry
for the past months since adding the fish to that tank. Last Saturday
I took out the mops and searched for eggs and fry . . .   nothing!

It looks like these things eat eggs and perhaps fry as well. I am
calling this a freshwater slug as a simple fish keeper. Are there any
other any other ideas?



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