Armina californica eggs

November 6, 2007
From: Jan Kocian


Revisited the sandy slopes of local beach, most of the Sea pens were in hiding this time, but there were plenty of Armina californica slugs to be seen, even if this again was a daytime dive. I did not see any slugs actually laying eggs, but saw one crossing one of the string of eggs, also a Sunflower star touching another batch, then leaving it alone, unharmed.

Locality: Possession Beach, Whidbey Island, 50 feet, Washington, USA, Eastern North Pacific, 1 October 2007, sandy slope. Length: 6 cm. Photographer: Jan Kocian.

Jan Kocian

honkoc@hotmail.com

Kocian, J, 2007 (Nov 6) Armina californica eggs. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20898

Hi Jan,

This is a great contribution. The egg mass matches perfectly that described by Ann Hurst in 1967. She had only drawings and I am sure would have loved to have included great photos like these.

This is an interesting egg mass as it is made up of a long series folds attached along one edge. Near the attachment edge, hidden under the eggs capsules in your photo, the jelly ribbon is clear. The concentration of egg capsules is along the free edge. The mass becomes a twisted ball because the attachment edge is shorter than the free edge.

Good show,
Dave Behrens

Behrens, D.W., 2007 (Nov 6). Comment on Armina californica eggs by Jan Kocian. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20898

Factsheet

Armina californica

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