Nudi in a Bubble
September 30, 2009
From: Jeff Davies
Hi Bill,
Yesterday we found an area of about 1 m square with several small Nudi's inside bubbles of what I think is algea - I've attached a picture of the Nudi inside and a second with a little more detail of an individual outside.
Can you identify the Nudi, and do you know why they seem to like riding inside the bubbles?
Locality: Magic Crack, Lembeh Strait, 10 m, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Celebes Sea, 29 July 2009, Black "Muck" Volcanic Sand. Length: 6-8 mm. Photographer: Jeff Davies.
Thanks
Jeff Davies
jeffrey_davies@hotmail.com
Davies, J.M., 2009 (Sep 30) Nudi in a Bubble. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22593
Dear Jeff,
There are some sea slugs which live in and feed on bubble-shaped algae [see Ercolania kencolesi] but they are all herbivorous sacoglossans. Your animal is a carnivorous aeolid nudibranch, whihc usually feed on hydroids. However yours is one of a small group which feeds on the eggs of other sea slugs, and sometimes the egg of polychaete worms.
I am pretty sure your animal is what I am calling Favorinus sp. 3 on the Forum. As you will see from other comments of mine on the Forum it is possible that this is not a species of Favorinus but that is the only group of aeolids which we know feed on eggs.
I have also included a closeup showing parts of a string of larger eggs which I suspect are the eggs of your aeolid. If so that is an interesting find
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
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