Notodoris minor - feeding observations

January 2, 2001
From: Mary Jane Adams


Happy New Year, Bill
Here is a picture of Notodoris minor eating its way through a sponge. I shot this in November, 2000 at Karumolun Island in the Russell Group of the Solomon Islands. It shows skeletal remains of the sponge where the slug has consumed the soft tissue. It does appear that it has somehow sucked the tissue from around the skeleton. It may be that N. minor eats some of the smaller spicules while leaving behind the larger ones. This appears to be a different sponge than the ones I have seen N. minor eating in Milne Bay, PNG. [see my earlier message]
Depth: 6 meters
Length: about 3 cm
Water temp: 84 F
Best regards,
Mary Jane

divepng@yahoo.com

Adams, M.J., 2001 (Jan 2) Notodoris minor - feeding observations. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3457

Dear Mary Jane,
Thanks for the photo. I have included a larger view to show the spicules more clearly. I also have the feeling that Notodoris dissolves the tissue from around the spicules before it swallows the 'mush' but we really need some direct evidence.

As to the identity of the sponge. I am not a sponge expert but I tend to think this is the same sponge, Pericharax heteroraphis, as in your earlier photo. Sponges are notoriously difficult to identify alive as they can vary greatly in shape and colour even in different part of the same colony. If you look carefully at your earlier photo the spicules seem to be of identical shape.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Jan 2). Comment on Notodoris minor - feeding observations by Mary Jane Adams. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3457

Factsheet

Notodoris minor

Related messages

  1. Notodoris minor from Solomon Ids
    From: Bruce Potter, June 10, 2003
  2. Notodoris minor from Mauritius
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia , November 20, 2002
  3. Notodoris minor from Tufi, Papua New Guinea
    From: Des Paroz, October 2, 2001
  4. Notodoris minor from Great Barrier Reef
    From: John Fergusson, September 25, 2001
  5. Finding mates
    From: Mary Jane Adams, February 14, 2001
  6. Notodoris minor from the Solomon Ids
    From: Bruce Potter, December 31, 2000
  7. Notodoris minor from the Solomons Ids
    From: Bruce Potter, October 16, 2000
  8. Notodoris minor from Papua New Guinea
    From: Stuart Hutchison, October 9, 2000
  9. Notodoris minor - mating & egg-laying
    From: Mary Jane Adams, February 6, 2000
  10. Notodoris minor - feeding behaviour
    From: Mary Jane Adams, February 6, 2000
  11. Notodoris minor from Mauritius
    From: Owen Griffiths, February 4, 2000
  12. Notodoris minor from Philippines
    From: Erwin Koehler, September 15, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages