Hermissenda crassicornis feeding on Geoducks?

August 4, 2000
From: Pacific Shellfish Institute

Recently we were informed about a high geoduck mortality at a few sites around the South Puget Sound of Washington State. These Geoducks were planted recently this year so their shell size ranged from 5 to 12 mm. Samples were collected on 2 August 2000 and sea slugs, determined to be Hermissenda crassicornis, were found in higher than normal numbers at the site. The Geoducks were planted in trays, so there is little or no substrate, at intertidal level. If anyone has information on Sea Slugs or even Hermissenda crassicornis feeding off of seed Geoducks or other similar molluscs please let us know.

[Note: For those of you who may be wondering if geoducks quack or lay eggs, 'geoduck' is a name for a large North American burrowing edible bivalve (Panopea generosa, SF: Hiatelloidea). - Bill Rudman]

Thanks,
Andy Suhrbier
Pacific Shellfish Institute

PSInstitute@uswest.net

Suhrbier, A., 2000 (Aug 4) Hermissenda crassicornis feeding on Geoducks?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2833

Dear Andy,
Hermissenda crassicornis certainly seems to have quite a catholic diet and there have been quite a few studies on the subject. Have a look at Cesar Megina's message on the topic. Bivalves, or pieces of bivalves are readily eaten by captive animals. Have a look at two recent papers for references to its food preferences.

• Avila, C. (1999) Chemotaxis in the nudibranch Hermissenda crassicornis: does ingestive conditioning influence it behaviour in a Y-maze? Journal of Molluscan Studies, 64: 215-222
• Avila, C., Tyndale, E., & Kuzirian, A.M. (1998) Feeding behaviour and growth of Hermissenda crassicornis (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) in the Laboratory. Mar. Fresh. Behav. Physiol., 31: 1-19.

Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2000 (Aug 4). Comment on Hermissenda crassicornis feeding on Geoducks? by Pacific Shellfish Institute. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2833

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