Lettuce Nudibranch (Elysia crispata)
Lettuce Nudibranch (Elysia crispata)
Elysia crispata pulls off one of the stranger tricks in the animal kingdom: it eats specific algae, digests everything except the chloroplasts, and then stores those chloroplasts intact in its own tissue where they keep photosynthesizing for weeks — a process called kleptoplasty that lets this sea slug run partly on solar power. That biology ties it directly to a narrow diet of the right algae species, which is why it’s a short-lived, advanced-hobbyist animal rather than a beginner pickup.
Care level: Difficult · Temperament: Peaceful · Max size: ~3" · Min tank: 30 gal, mature · Reef safe: Yes · Diet: Herbivore, specific algae types (bryopsis)
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Elysia crispata
- Common name
- Lettuce Nudibranch
- Water type
- Saltwater
- Care level
- Difficult
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Max size
- ~3"
- Minimum tank
- 30 gal
- Diet
- Herbivore, specific algae types (bryopsis)
- Reef safe
- Yes
When it ships
Most non-quarantined stock goes out the week you order. If we do not already have the animal in-house we source it first — allow up to two weeks for it to reach us. Live animals leave Monday and Tuesday, and Early AM Overnight is the only service that carries a live arrival guarantee.
The live guarantee
Shipped Early AM Overnight: a 1-hour DOA window from confirmed delivery, and nothing beyond it. Next Day Air and 2-Day carry no live arrival guarantee, and neither does USPS Priority. Local pickup or local delivery: 24 hours, if you bring a water sample from your aquarium and we test it before the animal goes home. Maintenance clients: 60 days when we service the aquarium at least twice a month, 28 days on a monthly plan.
Expert guidance
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Cameron draws on 25+ years in the hobby and a marine biology background to help you choose the right fit for your system.