My Sea Hare Squirted some ink

[nukeproof]

I had this Sea Hare for almost a year. She take turn cleaning my fuge and my main tank every few months. This morning I saw her head was stuck in my Seio pump. It's the second time she did that. I turn off the pump and try to pull her out. However, she squirted a purple color ink from her butt. I immedialtely pulled her out and placed her in a small bucket while I eventually free her. She still seems to be a live.

My question is if the purple ink is toxic? She was able to sprayed a good amount before I was able to pull her out.

Pat

 

[seminolecpa]

Don't know anything about it personally but i found this on-point post on RC. Take it for what it is worth.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1464737&highlight=sea+hare+ink

 

[nukeproof]

Thanks Bryan.

 

[seminolecpa]

I would also say (again without knowing anything about the ink) that I would probably run a decent amount of carbon as a precaution to help filter out some of the junk.

 

[nukeproof]

I was thinking of that but I was already late to drop my son of from school. I'll do that tonight.

 

[Crabby]

the ink is not toxic.

 

[zambavi]

From what i've read the ink from a Sea Hare can be toxic in a small environment. I'd run some Carbon first opportunity.

 

[realest614]

It is poison, I had a seahare did the samething. And next thing you know, I see my cleaner shrimp eatting it like it was food. 1 day later, my $15 Shrimp was laying dead. Rip cleaner shrimp

 

[Crabby]

Perhaps the toxicity depends on the algae that the seahare has been eating?

 

[GreshamH]

I heard they were not toxic as well Jonathan. From what I have read up on them it's the ink breaking down lowering O2 and jumping the ammonia levels up.

Unless they are eating dino's I doubt what they would find in our tanks would translate to being toxic.

 

[Crabby]

Some red algae are have toxic compounds, and sea hares eat red algae perhaps increasing toxicity? Probably some species of sea hare are more toxic than others. Certainly many nudibranchs are very toxic, and there are lots of different species all referred to as "sea hare."

 

[GreshamH]

[quote author=Crabby link=topic=5603.msg70449#msg70449 date=1229639321]
Some red algae are have toxic compounds, and sea hares eat red algae perhaps increasing toxicity? Probably some species of sea hare are more toxic than others. Certainly many nudibranchs are very toxic, and there are lots of different species all referred to as "sea hare."
[/quote]

Yup but most reds found in aquaria are not toxic. In this industry what is called a sea hare is a sea hare from every supplier I have ever used or seen.

 

[zambavi]

So I read a couple journal articles on the subject of Sea Hare ink and the consensus was that the ink is not "particularly toxic" but that it is an irritant to tank mates in a small environment. This problem is "easily" remedied with the use of activated carbon and water changes.

 

[GreshamH]

I bet in some culture the ink is a delicacy

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Close enough, maybe?

http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2005/09/best-pasta-is-black.html

 

[Crabby]

[quote author=Mr. Ugly link=topic=5603.msg71078#msg71078 date=1229935244]
Close enough, maybe?

http://accidentalscientist.blogspot.com/2005/09/best-pasta-is-black.html

[/quote]

The funny thing is that the person who wrote that article, "Michelle," is someone I have known for some time and I helped (in a small way) to launch her career as a marine biologist!

I've eaten squid ink pasta too - in Boston. Delicious. There was a lot of garlic too, and perhaps the garlic was more delicious than the ink. Now, sea hare ink pasta is a different matter all together...

 

[GreshamH]

Squid ink I knew about, same with abalone gut