Aeolidiella alderi
(Cocks, 1852)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Aeolidiidae

DISTRIBUTION

British Isles to Mediterranean Sea

PHOTO

UPPER: Sète, southern France, Mediterranean Sea. [Dive site : étang de Thau] Depth: 3m , Size: 1 cm. December 2000. Photo: J-P. Bielecki. (Note purple eggsacs of copepod parasite).
LOWER: Animal showing characteristic white 'ruff' or collar. Bay of Algeciras (Strait of Gibraltar, southern Spain) at 1 - 6 m. depth. Size: 15 mm. Place: Las Lajas Reef. August, 1999. Photo: Alma Sánchez

The cerata in the anterior-most row differ from the rest in having the digestive gland duct only reaching halfway up. The whitish cnidosac are consequently larger, filling the upper half of these cerata and giving the animal the appearance of having a whitish collar or "ruff". Tardy (1964) has observed that the larger nematocysts in these larger cnidosacs are fired into sea anemones to help subdue them. This species feeds exclusively on sea anemones. It is hard to diferentiate in shape and colour from A. glauca, but it has a quite different reproductive behaviour with A. glauca having planktotrophic larval development while A. alderi has direct development, with no planktonic larval stage. See Bernard Picton's message differentiating A. alderi, A. sanguinea and A. glauca.

Reference:
• Thompson, T.E. & Brown, G.H. (1984) Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs, Vol 2 Ray Society: London.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (February 18) Aeolidiella alderi (Cocks, 1852). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/aeolalde

Related messages

  1. Aeolidiella alderi from Thau, French Mediterranean
    From: Dominique Horst, November 28, 2007
  2. Aeolidiella alderi from Croatia
    From: Mat Vestjens, July 13, 2006
  3. Aeolidiella alderi from Bembridge, UK
    From: Rebecca Cooksley, September 29, 2005
  4. Aeolidiella alderi from UK
    From: Judith Oakley, August 8, 2005
  5. Aeolidiella alderi from sthn England
    From: Judith Oakley, May 13, 2005
  6. Guernsey opisthobranch
    From: Richard Lord, November 20, 2003
  7. Aeolidiella alderi - defensive behaviour
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia, August 25, 2003
  8. Aeolidiella alderi + eggs
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia, August 10, 2003
  9. Aeolidiella alderi from Tunisia
    From: Anis, April 22, 2003
  10. Aeolidiella alderi or A. glauca
    From: Mauro Doneddu, January 21, 2003
  11. Aeolidiella alderi from Strait of Gibraltar
    From: Alma Sánchez, January 29, 2002
  12. Re: Cuthona granosa ? from the Mediterranean
    From: Bernard Picton , January 9, 2002
  13. Cuthona granosa ? from the Mediterranean
    From: Jean-Pierre Bielecki, December 19, 2001
  14. Aeolidiella alderi
    From: Jean-Pierre Bielecki, March 17, 2001
  15. Aeolidiella alderi and parasite
    From: Jean-Pierre Bielecki, February 20, 2001
  16. Aeolidiella alderi or A. glauca
    From: Bernard Picton , February 20, 2001

Show factsheet and all related messages