Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding, Philippines

July 1, 2008
From: Marcel Tanke


Dear Bill,
During a dive in Puerto Galere we saw a couple of Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding on blue sea squirts. At least it seemed that they were biting in it, I could not see pieces eaten away already. The sea squirts didn't like it, they have their mouths closed.

Locality: Puerto Galere, 15 m, Philippines, 8 February 2008, reef. Length: 10 cm. Photographer: Marcel Tanke.

Best regards,
Marcel

marceltanke@cs.com

Tanke, M.A., 2008 (Jul 1) Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding, Philippines. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21651

Dear Marcel,

This bright blue ascidian appears to be a species of the genus Rhopalaea. A number of different species of Nembrotha seem to feed on it Interestingly, most records I have seen of species of Nembrotha feeding on these 'solitary' ascidians suggest that they insert their long tube-like proboscis into what you call the sea squirt's mouths. There is a good photo  of  N. lineolata  doing this in message #16176. As I describe on the ascidian Fact Sheet, the blue object in your photo is a tough leathery sac which protects the soft body parts inside. The 'mouths' you mention are two openings so that a current of fresh sea water is available to the ascidian which feeds by filtering tiny particles from the seawater. The Nembrotha is intersted in the soft fleshy body inside the sac and has found that the easiest way in is through the two openings. I am not sure if it can burrow through the leathery wall of the outer sac. It would be interesting to see if anyone has photos of this happening.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Jul 1). Comment on Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding, Philippines by Marcel Tanke. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21651

Related messages

  1. Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding
    From: Dr. Carsten Harfmann, December 7, 2009
  2. Nembrotha chamberlaini from Malaysia?
    From: Mirjam Broos, December 7, 2009
  3. Mating brown & green Nembrotha chamberlaini
    From: Kara Miller, September 15, 2009
  4. Re: Unicorn Nembrotha chamberlaini
    From: Marcel Tanke, September 15, 2009
  5. Nembrotha chamberlaini: The ART of laying eggs
    From: Marcel Tanke, September 15, 2009
  6. Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding [2]
    From: Marcel Tanke, August 25, 2008
  7. Unicorn Nembrotha chamberlaini
    From: Marcel Tanke, June 30, 2008
  8. Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding at Komodo
    From: Natasja Vandeperre, April 21, 2008
  9. Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding on Ascidians (Phillipines)
    From: James McMahon, February 28, 2008
  10. Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding
    From: Mike Krampf, April 18, 2007
  11. Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding on an ascidian
    From: Paul Osmond, January 19, 2007
  12. Nembrotha chamberlaini from Bali
    From: Erwin Kodiat, October 7, 2003
  13. Nembrotha chamberlaini from the Philippines
    From: Yukari Sato, October 5, 2003
  14. Nembrotha chamberlaini mating
    From: Todd Garthwaite, March 7, 2002
  15. Nembrotha chamberlaini from the Philippines
    From: Mary Jane Adams, January 22, 2002
  16. Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding
    From: Terry Gosliner, September 15, 2000
  17. Nembrotha chamberlaini feeding
    From: Erwin Koehler, September 13, 2000
  18. Re: Nembrotha chamberlaini from Indonesia
    From: Pete Vogt, April 19, 1999
  19. Nembrotha chamberlaini from Indonesia
    From: Peter Vogt, February 24, 1999
  20. Observations on Nembrotha chamberlaini
    From: Erwin Koehler, January 8, 1999
  21. Re: Philippines Nembrotha
    From: Terry Gosliner, December 16, 1998
  22. Re: Philippines Nembrotha
    From: Dave Behrens, December 16, 1998
  23. Re: Nembrotha chamberlaini
    From: Terry Gosliner, December 16, 1998
  24. Nembrotha from the Philippines
    From: Erwin Koehler, December 12, 1998

Show factsheet and all related messages