Berghia Nudibranch

Looks how to spot one

Soft sea slug covered in finger-like cerata

A tiny sea slug whose back is crowded with finger-shaped projections called cerata. When bothered it can fan them out into a bristling pincushion.1

Personality what they are like

A shy, peaceful slug that hides in the rockwork by day and hunts Aiptasia anemones. It ignores corals and fish.12

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Crawls slowly over live rock searching for its prey.2

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Add several at once for faster results, and keep them away from fish or shrimp that eat small invertebrates. Plan ahead for where they go once the Aiptasia are gone, since they eat nothing else.12

Home where they are happiest

Any reef tank from about 40 L (10 US gal) with plenty of live rock where Aiptasia grow.2

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Eats only Aiptasia (glass) anemones; young slugs start feeding about two days after hatching.1

Company who they like around

Works best in a group; it breeds readily, laying egg masses that can hold over a thousand embryos.12

The story where it all began

Ángel Valdés described the species in 2005; before that it was sold under the wrong name Berghia verrucicornis. It became one of the most sold sea slugs in North America for controlling Aiptasia, and its genome was sequenced in 2024 for research.1

Recognised by the official bits

Taxonomy (via Wikipedia)

Described by Valdés in 2005; family Aeolidiidae, order Nudibranchia.1