Elysia crispata from Colombia

October 1, 2003
From: Ana Karina Yepes

Hello,
I have been working a little with Elysia crispata and I would like to know if there is an specific methodology to extract the symbionts they contain. We are trying to examine the stomach to find little pieces of algae, or perhaps the zooxanthellae, but in two occasions we have failed and found nothing, and the content doesn´t even take the lugol, to find polysaccharids.

I add a photograph of the slug collected in Isla Fuerte, Colombia. It is a detail of the parapodia… from which I have one question. Is this coloration due to the pigments they extract from the algae? If this one has an orange color, one could expect to find carothenes in it? And, where is the tissue that contains the chloroplasts?

Thanks
Ana Karina Yepes Gómez
Lab. de Productos Naturales bioactivos marinos
Instituto de Biologia
Universidad de Antioquia
Medellin, Colombia

akyg01@matematicas.udea.edu.co

Yepes, A. K., 2003 (Oct 1) Elysia crispata from Colombia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11030

Dear Ana Karina,
Firstly Elysia contains chloroplasts not zooxanthellae. The green specks in your photo are indeed clumps of living chloroplasts and so they retain their green pigments. The yellow and other colours in these animals seem to be unrelated to photosynthesis and are produced by the animal. If you look through the other messages and the Fact Sheet you will find addresses of people who are currently working on the chloroplast symbiosis and are probably the best people to contact for advice. You will also find quite a few references on the Forum on this topic
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Oct 1). Comment on Elysia crispata from Colombia by Ana Karina Yepes. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11030

Factsheet

Elysia crispata

Related messages

  1. Lettuce slug behaviour
    From: Bob Bailey, March 26, 2010
  2. Two Elysia crispata from Saba, Windward Islands
    From: Eric Kaye, March 26, 2010
  3. Colour variations of Elysia crispata from Guadeloupe [2]
    From: Hugues Flodrops, November 21, 2007
  4. Colour variations of Elysia crispata from Guadeloupe [1]
    From: Hugues Flodrops, November 21, 2007
  5. Elysia with a ripped body
    From: Patrick, October 4, 2007
  6. Location of Elysia crispata - and other slugs?
    From: Paul Jones, September 22, 2007
  7. Elysia crispata? from Cuba
    From: Simon Crawford, March 23, 2007
  8. Re: Update on Elysia crispata feeding
    From: Andrew Rodenbeck, August 30, 2006
  9. Damaged Elysia crispata
    From: D. Rose, August 28, 2006
  10. Re: Update on Elysia crispata feeding
    From: Colin Finney, May 6, 2005
  11. Re: Update on Elysia crispata feeding
    From: Skip Pierce, May 4, 2005
  12. Re: Update on Elysia crispata feeding
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, May 2, 2005
  13. Re: Update on Elysia crispata feeding
    From: Lindsey Holm, May 2, 2005
  14. Elysia crispata - Here's a puzzle
    From: Skip Pierce, January 4, 2005
  15. Update on Elysia crispata feeding
    From: Skip Pierce, August 6, 2004
  16. Re: Elysia crispata feeding
    From: Pszemol, July 16, 2004
  17. Re: Elysia feeding
    From: Skip Pierce, March 1, 2004
  18. Re: Elysia feeding
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, February 27, 2004
  19. Elysia feeding
    From: Skip Pierce, February 26, 2004
  20. Elysia crispata - breeding in aquarium
    From: Paul Baldassano, January 9, 2004
  21. Elysia crispata from Jamaica
    From: Ross W. Gundersen, October 10, 2003
  22. Elysia crispata from Bonaire
    From: Robert Fishman, September 11, 2003
  23. Light color form of Elysia crispata
    From: Linda Ianniello, July 21, 2003
  24. Chloroplasts in Elysia crispata
    From: Skip Pierce, June 30, 2003
  25. More on Elysia crispata - feeding, DNA etc
    From: Skip Pierce, May 8, 2003
  26. Re: Elysia crispata and algal genes
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, May 5, 2003
  27. Elysia crispata research
    From: Dirk Trauner , March 11, 2003
  28. Elysia crispata toxicity..
    From: Ken Woden, September 17, 2002
  29. Re: Elysia crispata question...
    From: Matt Galvin, December 18, 2001
  30. Elysia crispata question...
    From: Rich Hunziker , December 12, 2001
  31. Re: Advice of keeping Elysia crispata in captivity
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, October 9, 2001
  32. Re: Elysia crispata
    From: Anne DuPont, October 9, 2001
  33. Chloroplasts in the 'lettuce leaf nudibranch'
    From: Caroline Nelson, October 8, 2001
  34. Re: Advice of keeping Elysia in captivity
    From: Claude Poole, September 24, 2001
  35. I need some Bryopsis
    From: Kathleen Archer , September 21, 2001
  36. Re: Advice of keeping Elysia in captivity
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, September 17, 2001
  37. Advice of keeping Elysia in captivity
    From: Kathleen Archer , September 15, 2001
  38. Elysia crispata from Colombia
    From: Alexander Taborda Marin, June 16, 2001
  39. Keeping Elysia crispata in aquaria
    From: Alan Pittman, February 26, 2001
  40. Elysia crispata in aquaria
    From: Ryan, January 29, 2001
  41. What is a Lettuce Nudibranch
    From: Mike Dean, October 30, 2000
  42. Elysia crispata v Tridachia crispata
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, October 17, 2000
  43. Re: Elysia crispata - egg coil
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, October 15, 2000
  44. Elysia crispata - egg coil
    From: John Batson, October 6, 2000
  45. Re: Lettuce Slug
    From: Jonathan Laxton, August 3, 2000
  46. What is a lettuce slug? help please......!
    From: Jonathan LAxton, July 28, 2000
  47. Elysia crispata & photosynthesis
    From: Dave Behrens, December 10, 1999
  48. Tridachia v Elysia crispata
    From: David W. Behrens, December 7, 1999
  49. Photos of the solar-powered 'Ruffled Sea Slug'
    From: Anne DuPont, December 7, 1999
  50. Red-lined form of Tridachia crispata
    From: Anne Dupont, December 7, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages