Macroalgae Farms
Lettuce Nudibranch (Hair Algae Eater)
Key Features:
Estimated delivery between June 16 and June 18.
About this item
Lettuce Nudibranch
The Lettuce Nudibranch (Elysia crispata) is one of the most charming and visually distinctive invertebrates in the reef hobby. Its body is a living, ruffled green leaf — frilled, sculpted, and waving gently as it grazes across rockwork like a piece of lettuce come to life. Caribbean in origin, this peaceful sea slug photosynthesizes through chloroplasts stolen from the algae it eats, making it one of the few animals in the ocean that can essentially run on sunlight. The vivid green coloration intensifies under good reef lighting and stable conditions, turning each specimen into a moving, glowing accent across the aquarium.
Beyond its novelty, the Lettuce Nudibranch is one of the only animals in the reef hobby known to consume Bryopsis — the notoriously stubborn hair algae that resists almost every other form of control. For reefers battling Bryopsis outbreaks, a Lettuce Nudibranch is often the natural, livestock-based solution that works where chemical treatments and manual removal fail. Peaceful, reef-safe, and completely non-aggressive with corals or tankmates, this is a specialist grazer that doubles as a genuine conversation piece.
Despite its name, the Lettuce Nudibranch is actually NOT a nudibranch, but rather a completely herbivorous sea slug, and is reef safe.
Available Options
1 Lettuce Nudibranch
- One Caribbean Lettuce Nudibranch — coloration and size vary based on current availability
- Active grazer that targets hair algae, including Bryopsis
- Peaceful and reef-safe with corals, fish, and other invertebrates
Care Information
| 💡 Lighting Moderate — benefits from reef lighting for photosynthesis |
🌊 Water Flow Low to Moderate — gentle, indirect flow preferred |
| 📍 Placement Rockwork and glass — grazes across all surfaces |
⚙️ Care Level Moderate — requires established algae food source |
| 🐠 Temperament Peaceful — completely reef-safe |
🍽️ Diet Specialist herbivore — hair algae, Bryopsis, Caulerpa, and similar green algae |
Special Considerations
🔍 Aquarium Insights
The Lettuce Nudibranch is one of the most unique invertebrates in the reef hobby:
- Photosynthesizes using chloroplasts taken from the algae it eats — one of the only animals known to do this
- Targets Bryopsis and other stubborn green algae that few other livestock will touch
- A natural, livestock-based solution to algae outbreaks that resist chemical and manual control
Learn More
For detailed species information, compatibility, and care tips, visit our Species Library.
Due to natural variation, the Lettuce Nudibranch you receive may vary in size, coloration depth, and frill density. Coloration may shift between brighter and deeper greens depending on diet, lighting, and tank conditions.
Photographs are representative examples. Individual specimens may display differences in shape and coloration depending on age, diet, and environmental factors.
As with all live animals, proper acclimation and a suitable, established environment are essential for best results.
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