Tylodina corticalis on food source

February 8, 2008
From: Gary Cobb

Hi Bill and everyone!
When on a dive you never know what you'll find. My dive buddy was trying to get my attention while shooting a Flabellina bicolor... boy was I surprised! Six Tylodina corticalis attacking a sponge. Could this be Pseudoceratina sp.? I shot a pic after prying them off to show what they ate. The largest one is 46 mm.

Locality: Hanging Rock, Mooloolaba, 17 m, Queensland, Australia, Pacific Ocean, 08 December 2007, Subtidal. Length: 12-46 mm. Photographer: Gary Cobb.

Cheers
Gary Cobb

gary@nudibranch.com.au

Cobb, G.C., 2008 (Feb 8) Tylodina corticalis on food source. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21291

00Dear Gary,
This is a nice find, and yes I am sure this is either a species of Pseudoceratina or else a closely related sponge of the Family Aplysinellidae. Species of Tylodina feed on this group of sponges worldwide. The aplysinellids and the related verongiid sponges have an interesting and well-studied group of defensive chemicals which I guess the tylodinids are re-using for their own defense.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Feb 8). Comment on Tylodina corticalis on food source by Gary Cobb. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21291

Factsheet

Tylodina corticalis

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