Several type of egg mass that Favorinus sp. 3 eat

April 30, 2008
From: Ayumi Murakami


Concerning message #21545:

Dear Bill
Here are three photos of different egg masses which were being eaten by specimens of the aeolid mentioned in my last message [#21545 ].
Each egg mass has one or two animals inside them.

1.the shape is spherical and the eggs are scattered
2.it's oval shaped and the eggs are in strings
(My picture is just a part of the egg mass though)
3.the shape is cylindrical and the eggs are arranged in curved strings

These egg masses can be found on sandy bottoms in water 6-9 m deep and are about 15-2 0mm in length.

Locality: Futou beach,IZU.pen, 6-9m, Japan, Pacific Ocean, the 19th - the 20th of April 2008, muddy sand. Length: 3.5-8 mm. Photographer: Ayumi Murakami.

I guess more of the same species live there, because I observed five egg masses with the animals.

Best regards
Ayumi Murakami

umiushi2@masea.info

Ayumi Murakami, 2008 (Apr 30) Several type of egg mass that Favorinus sp. 3 eat. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21547

Dear Ayumi,

In an earlier message I said it looked as though this species feeds on polychaete worm eggs, and the spherical egg you have included here looks like that of a polychaete. However in the two elongate egg masses, as you describe, the eggs seem to be in strings which would seem to preclude a polychaete worm. Perhaps they are the eggs of a cephalaspid sea slug like Aglaja, Philinopsis or Philine?

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Apr 30). Comment on Several type of egg mass that Favorinus sp. 3 eat by Ayumi Murakami. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21547

Factsheet

Favorinus sp. 3

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