Polycera chilluna - egg mass & feeding

September 17, 2003
From: Sandy Smith


Bill,
Here are the rest of the photos to go with my other message concerning Polycera chilluna.

Morehead City, North Carolina [13-14 September 2003]. We were diving the German U boat [the U-352] in 110 fsw (located approximately 5 miles from the previous sighting on the Hardy's wreck). My husband spotted what we believe to be an egg casing. We did not see any specimens as large as the one seen earlier on Hardy's wreck. Could these be juveniles released from the egg casing? I'm not sure if they were feeding or just hanging on.
Sandy Smith

scubanurse69@hotmail.com

Smith, S., 2003 (Sep 17) Polycera chilluna - egg mass & feeding. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10982

Thanks Sandy,
Here are the rest of your photos to go with your other message. Although I can't be 100% sure, the size and shape of the egg ribbon, and the fact that it is deposited on the orange bryozoan which they are eating, make me pretty certain that it is their egg ribbon. From the size of the eggs in your photo I am pretty sure this species has free-swimming larvae which spend some time in the plankton so I suspect this egg mass has been produced by one of the animals you saw. From its unbroken appearance, and the tiny white specks [eggs], I don't think the eggs have hatched from this egg ribbon yet.

I am sure your animals are feeding. If you look at the animal in the lower photo you can see a white structure beneath the orange papillae on the front of the head. This white structure is the 'pharynx' or 'buccal bulb' which is everted when the animal in feeding, to bring its teeth and jaws into contact with the food. You can't get much better confirmation that the animal is feeding than this.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Sep 17). Comment on Polycera chilluna - egg mass & feeding by Sandy Smith. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10982

Factsheet

Polycera chilluna

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