Cratena peregrina from Antibes, France

July 22, 2006
From: Dominique Horst

Dear Bill,

I've notice a strange twist on the left border of this Cratena peregrina. I thought initially that it could be the animal laying eggs, but I don't feel confortable with this. Apparently this kind of twist is made from the same material as the mantle and doesn't look like eggs. Could this be related to a reproductive organ ?

Locality: Cap d'Antibes, 6m, France, Mediterranean sea, 11 July 2006. Length: 30mm. Photographer: Dominique Horst.

The general context on the site these last days is an explosion of numerous Cratena peregrina, mating, laying eggs and the appearance of juveniles on hydroids. Also Flabellina affinis is associated with many individuals.

Many thanks for your help,
Kind regards,
Dominique

dominique.horst@wanadoo.fr

Horst, D., 2006 (Jul 22) Cratena peregrina from Antibes, France. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17130

Dear Dominique,
Your reports from the French Mediterranean are always very welcome, especially now it is midwinter here in Sydney. Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos.

The strange twisted ribbon you mention are eggs, but they are not the eggs of the nudibranch. They are the paired egg sacs of a crustacean copepod parasite. Its body is embedded in the animal and only its egg sacs extrude out. It is surprisng how many records we now have on the Forum of nudibranchs, often aeolids, with these parasites.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Jul 22). Comment on Cratena peregrina from Antibes, France by Dominique Horst. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17130

Factsheet

Cratena peregrina

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