Brown form of Flabellina verrucosa

August 31, 1999
From: Betsey Hansen

Bill,

Attached are photos of the chocolate and red versions of the Maine sea slug. I believe this is the same slug I found in New York, but I didn't find anything but red ones in New York. There is also a frontal view. Length: about 1 inch (25mm).

Best wishes,
Betsey

BHScuba@aol.com

Hansen, E., 1999 (Aug 31) Brown form of Flabellina verrucosa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1267

Dear Betsey,
Thanks for the photos from Maine. Can you give me a little more detail on the locality please? The brown colour form is a colour form of Flabellina verrucosa. The colour in aeolids is often a result of the colour of their food which accumulates in the ducts of the digestive gland, which are in the cerata.

Your photo of the 'red' form is very interesting because it shows an animal which is changing colour. Note how some cerata have a brown duct, some a red, but many have a bit of both. I am not sure which way the colour change is going, but clearly it has recently changed its diet.

For those unsure of aeolid anatomy I have labelled the parts in Betsey's frontal photo.
fc = the often triangular or tentacular corners at the anterior end of the foot - commonly called foot corners or anterior foot corners
m = mouth, ot = oral tentacles, r = rhinophores

Rudman, W.B., 1999 (Aug 31). Comment on Brown form of Flabellina verrucosa by Betsey Hansen. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1267

Factsheet

Flabellina verrucosa

Related messages

  1. Re: Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
    From: Jackie Hildering & Glen Miller, November 5, 2007
  2. Flabellina verrucosa in West Puget Sound
    From: Dave Washburn, September 15, 2007
  3. Flabellina verrucosa from Massachusetts
    From: Charlotte Richardson, August 18, 2007
  4. Flabellina verrucosa egg masses
    From: Jackie Hildering, March 26, 2007
  5. Flabellina verrucosa - odd food choice?
    From: Alan Shepard, April 18, 2005
  6. Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
    From: Bruce Wight, October 24, 2003
  7. Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
    From: Marli Wakeling, July 2, 2003
  8. Flabellina verrucosa from British Colunbia
    From: Marli Wakeling, June 27, 2003
  9. Flabellina verrucosa with short cerata
    From: Robert Eriksson, May 13, 2003
  10. Re: Flabellina? from Norway
    From: Jussi Evertsen, April 30, 2003
  11. Re: Flabellina? from Norway
    From: Kåre Telnes, April 30, 2003
  12. Flabellina? from Norway
    From: Kåre Telnes, April 25, 2003
  13. Flabellina verrucosa from Massachusetts, USA
    From: Alan Shepard, February 4, 2003
  14. Re: Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
    From: Marli Wakeling, July 25, 2002
  15. Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
    From: Wendy Atkinson, July 19, 2002
  16. Re: Cuthona punicea
    From: Sandra Millen, June 25, 2002
  17. Flabellina verrucosa from Massachusetts
    From: Paul Young, June 22, 2002
  18. Flabellina verrucosa with hydroids from Canada
    From: Marli Wakeling, April 6, 2002
  19. Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
    From: Marli Wakeling, March 23, 2002
  20. Flabellina verrucosa - photo of tail
    From: Bernard Picton , July 22, 2001
  21. Flabellina verrucosa from New England
    From: Paul Young, June 20, 2001
  22. Re: Flabellina verrucosa feeding on scyphistomae
    From: Bill Rudman, February 16, 2001
  23. Re: An aeolid from Massachusetts
    From: Chad Sisson, February 15, 2001
  24. Re: An aeolid from Massachusetts
    From: Alan Shepard, February 13, 2001
  25. Re: An aeolid from Massachusetts
    From: Chad Sisson, February 13, 2001
  26. Re: aeolids from Massachusetts
    From: Terry Gosliner, February 13, 2001
  27. An aeolid from Massachusetts
    From: Alan Shepard, February 10, 2001
  28. Flabellina verrucosa from Canada
    From: Marli Wakeling, December 20, 2000
  29. Flabellina verrucosa from Maine
    From: Betsey Hansen, August 31, 1999
  30. Re: Flabellina verrucosa? from New York
    From: Terry Gosliner, August 29, 1999
  31. Flabellina verrucosa? off Long Island, NY
    From: Betsey Hansen, August 27, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages