Berghia Nudibranch

Care Summary

The berghia nudibranch is the Aiptasia specialist of the reef hobby. It was described in 2005 as Aeolidiella stephanieae and is also sold under the older name Berghia verrucicornis. Adults are only about an inch long, translucent white with rows of finger-like cerata down the back that take on a golden-brown tint from the zooxanthellae in the anemones they eat. Berghia eat Aiptasia and only Aiptasia — that single food is both their gift and their limit. They hunt mostly at night, often in small groups, stinging and eating anemones without triggering the spread that cutting or scrubbing causes. Once every Aiptasia in the tank is gone, berghia will starve unless they are passed along to another tank that still has anemones, so plan for that before you buy. Add them after dark near the Aiptasia, keep flow gentle while they settle, and avoid keeping them with wrasses, peppermint shrimp, and other tankmates that may eat small nudibranchs. They breed readily in captivity, laying neat spiral egg strings near their food. Photo: Jessica Goodheart, CC0 1.0, via Smithsonian NMNH