Re: Hermaea variopicta, a rare species in France

April 20, 2006
From: Cynthia Trowbridge

Concerning message #15517:

Dear Bill and Bernard,
It is great to see information about this species. After searching in great detail (even before Bernard's messages), I have found no published information on ovum or capsule size, larval type, etc. of this species. It may be in the type description (Costa, 1869) but I have not been able to locate that yet. If there were any way to get any additional information -- quantitative or qualitative -- that would be a major contribution. For example, the maximum reported body size seems to be 18 mm.... so already the 30 mm recorded size in the first message seems to be a new record!

Regarding the comment that the eggs were not deposited on the host algae, I have found this to be common for sacoglossan species that feed on filamentous algae. For example, some species place their egg masses on firm macroalgae or rocks in the same tidepool or area. This behavior makes sense, given that the slug's feeding activities often cause the filament distal to feeding damage to slough off in wave action.

Thank you so much for observations on this species! I have been looking for Hermaea spp. for years on rocky shores of Ireland, Isle of Wight (UK), and the Channel Islands. Hermaea bifida is rather common but H. variopicta is a great find.

Gratefully,
Cynthia

trowbric@yahoo.com

Trowbridge, C.D., 2006 (Apr 20) Re: Hermaea variopicta, a rare species in France. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16359

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