Aeolidia papillosa - Mating and Feeding
May 24, 2005
From: Philipp Kauffmann
Hello everybody,
Here are two pictures showing two seaslugs. Is it Aeolidia papillosa or Aeolidiella glauca? It looks like they pairing. If yes, how do they do it?
The third picture shows a single Aeolidia papillosa. Is she feeding on the sea anemone Sagartia troglodytes?
Locality: Oosteschelde, Netherlands. Depth: 10 m. Length: 6-7 cm. 16 May 2005. Photographer: Philipp Kauffmann
Thanks a lot!
Philipp
philipp@dive2paradise.de
Kauffmann, P. F., 2005 (May 24) Aeolidia papillosa - Mating and Feeding. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13822Dear Philipp,
These are all Aeolidia papillosa. You can see traces of the white V marking this species has on the head. The arms of the V run out on to the oral tentacles. In your feeding photo it looks like the animal has its oral tube everted out over another anemone. Or perhaps it is out in preparation for attacking the one in your photo. This species feeds on a variety of sea anemones.
I guess the animals in your photo alongside are mating - or preparing to. All nudibrnachs are hermaphrodite, with a full set of male and female organs. At mating they usually both act as male and female. As the reproductive openings are on the right side of the body, when you see two individuals with their right sides together, you can be fairly confident that they are mating, or about to.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Related messages
-
Aeolidia papillosa from French Atlantic
From: Marina Poddubetskaia Ossokine, August 17, 2009 -
Re: Aeolidia papillosa spawn
From: Jackie Hildering, August 1, 2008 -
Re: Aeolidia papillosa spawn
From: Jackie Hildering, August 1, 2008 -
Stars don't eat slugs
From: Jan Kocian, July 11, 2007 -
Aeolidia papillosa from British Columbia
From: Marli Wakeling, March 26, 2007 -
Aeolidia papillosa? from southern Oregon
From: Sandy Grummon, March 1, 2007 -
Large Aeolidia papillosa from Puget Sound
From: Richard Zade, February 8, 2007 -
Juvenile Aeolidia papillosa?
From: Carmelita Hansen, May 11, 2006 -
Aeolidia papillosa from Puget Sound, Washington
From: Tom Hankins, February 22, 2005 -
Aeolidia papillosa vs Flabellina salmonacea
From: Mary Jo Adams, January 29, 2004 -
Aeolidia papillosa - mating
From: Richard Lord, August 29, 2003 -
Aeolidia papillosa feeding
From: Alan Shepard, August 23, 2003 -
Re: Information about Aeolidia papillosa
From: Peter H. van Bragt, November 4, 2002 -
Information about Aeolidia papillosa
From: Moria Eggers, October 30, 2002 -
Aeolidia papillosa feeding
From: Andy Horton, September 30, 1999 -
Aeolidia papillosa spawn
From: Andy Horton, September 29, 1999 -
Albino Aeolidia papillosa
From: Irina Roginskaya, September 18, 1999 -
Aeolidia papillosa from the White Sea
From: Irina Roginskaya, September 8, 1999 -
Colour variation in Aeolidia papillosa
From: Betsey Hansen, September 5, 1999 -
Aeolidia papillosa - Feeding & breeding
From: Betsey Hansen, September 3, 1999 -
Aeolidia papillosa from the Netherlands
From: Peter H. van Bragt, September 2, 1999 -
Aeolidia papillosa from New York
From: Betsey Hansen, September 2, 1999