Mating Elysia ornata from nthn Mariana Islands
February 15, 2008
From: Yuji Fujie
Dear Dr.Bill,
Here are three pictures which we think are ofElysia ornata mating.
They inserted their male reproductive organs into each other for five minutes or more.
Locality: LauLau Beach, 6 m, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Pacific Ocean, 25 October 2007, under the dead coral. Length: 20 mm. Photographer: Yuji Fujie.
Best regards,
Yuji
ds-with@isletwind.com
Yuji Fujie, 2008 (Feb 15) Mating Elysia ornata from nthn Mariana Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21261Dear Yuji,
Thanks for these interesting photos. Sacoglossans have some interesting mating behaviours and some have unusual reproductive anatomy, some even lack a vaginal opening for their partner's penis so that sperm can only be exchanged by the parner stabbing a hole through the skin of their partner. I am not sure what happens in Elysia ornata, but from your photos the penis in both animals seems to be inserted on the right side of its partner just near the opening of the right parapodia, which is where the vagina opens, when it is present [see rings]. So it looks like E. ornata has a 'normal' reproductive system with reciprocal mating, both partners acting as male and female simultaneously.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Related messages
-
Re: Elysia ornata from French Polynesia
From: Cynthia D. Trowbridge, January 15, 2009 -
Elysia ornata from Carriacou in the Caribbean
From: Brian Mayes, December 11, 2008 -
Mating Elysia ornata from Florida
From: Linda Ianniello, August 8, 2008 -
Elysia thompsoni? - Fremantle, Western Australia
From: Brent Murdoch, June 28, 2007 -
Elysia ornata? from Lembeh Strait
From: Mike Krampf, May 31, 2007 -
Elysia ornata? from Bali
From: Kevin Lee, July 13, 2006 -
Elysia ornata from Reunion island
From: Philibert Bidgrain, June 22, 2006 -
Elysia from Dubai
From: Mike Arora, March 31, 2006 -
Re: Elysia ornata from St. Vincent
From: Roberto Sozzani, October 25, 2005 -
Elysia ornata from St. Vincent
From: Les Wilk, October 21, 2005 -
Elysia ornata from South China Sea
From: Jimmy Goh, May 9, 2005 -
Elysia ornata or E. grandifolia ?
From: Marli Wakeling, February 23, 2005 -
First record of Elysia ornata from Eilat, Red Sea
From: Jacob Dafni, January 28, 2005 -
Elysia ornata from Bahamas
From: Marina Poddubetskaia, March 4, 2004 -
Elysia ornata from Malaysia (Mabul)
From: Harro Quitzau, July 12, 2003 -
Elysia ornata from Batam, Indonesia
From: Alice Lee, June 23, 2003 -
Re: Elysia ornata from Indonesia
From: Kathe R. Jensen, May 21, 2003 -
Elysia ornata from Indonesia
From: Danny Van Belle, May 17, 2003 -
Elysia ornata from Myanmar
From: Mary Jane Adams, April 1, 2003 -
Elysia ornata from Tufi, Papua New Guinea
From: Dave Harasti, March 12, 2003 -
Elysia ornata from Tufi wharf , PNG (2)
From: Dave Harasti, March 12, 2003 -
Elysia ornata from Chek Jawa, Singapore
From: Ria Tan, February 4, 2003 -
Elysia ornata from South Korea
From: Dong Bum, Koh, November 30, 2002 -
Elysia ornata from nthn New South Wales
From: John Pogonoski , August 16, 2002 -
Deformed Elysia ornata from Japan
From: Jun Imamoto, July 9, 2002 -
Elysia ornata from Taiwan
From: Todd Garthwaite, July 4, 2002 -
Elysia ornata from Florida
From: Linda Ianniello, March 14, 2002 -
Elysia ornata? from Queensland
From: Jo Endersbee, December 3, 2001 -
Elysia ornata and an octopus
From: Bruce Potter, November 13, 2001 -
Elysia ornata from the Line Islands
From: Cory Pittman, October 26, 2001 -
Elysia ornata from Sulawesi
From: Mary Jane Adams , August 29, 2001 -
Elysia ornata from Japan
From: Nishina Masayoshi, August 19, 2001 -
Elysia ornata from Saudi Arabia
From: John Chuk, August 1, 2001 -
Elysia ornata from American Samoa
From: Don Barclay, July 21, 2001 -
Elysia ornata from Papua New Guinea
From: Mary Jane Adams , July 21, 2001 -
Re: Elysia sp. 11 from Sulawesi
From: Kathe R. Jensen, June 28, 2001 -
Elysia sp. 11 from Sulawesi
From: Lindsay Warren , June 26, 2001 -
Elysia sp. 11? from the Philippines
From: Erwin Koehler, June 18, 2001 -
Elysia from American Samoa
From: Don Barclay, April 3, 2001 -
Elysia ornata from French Polynesia
From: Daniel L. Geiger, December 21, 2000 -
Elysia ornata from the Philippines
From: Erwin Koehler, November 6, 1999 -
Elysia ornata from Queensland
From: Tim Murrell, November 5, 1999