Petalifera from Pemba Island
February 4, 2001
From: Bernard Picton
Hi Bill,
Here are a couple of scans of an animal which I take to be a Petalifera
species. Having read your comments on Phyllaplysia and Petalifera I see that there is debate over these genera. This animal was found at night on a large
frond of algae (possibly a brown alga). It has tubercles and pink and purple spots which are very similar to those of Petalifera ramosa, despite the difference in body shape. Comparing it with your Phyllaplysia species (which seem to be on sea grasses) I wonder if Petalifera species are on algae?
Bernard
bernard.picton.um@nics.gov.uk
Picton, B., 2001 (Feb 4) Petalifera from Pemba Island. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3683Thanks Bernard,
I think your animal is what I am calling Petalifera ramosa from the Western Pacific. In your enlarged photo of the tubercles, the largest have small papillae or branches at the tip which match those shown more extended in some photos I am posting separately of animals collected at Lifou in November.
Concerning your suggestion that Phyllaplysia is found on sea grasses and Petalifera on algae I would tend to agree, but I think we will need more records. I have had a quick look at my records of Phyllaplysia and it seems retricted to sea grasses but I haven't enough of Petalifera to say anything sensible.
Robert Beeman studied the Californian species Phyllaplysia taylori quite extensively, and in a summary (Beeman, 1968) he reported that it fed on the algal film (mainly diatoms) over the leaves of the sea grass Zostera. But I don't know of any studies on other species of either Phyllaplysia or Petalifera.
Beeman, R.D. (1968) Part Two. The Anaspidea. The Veliger, 3 (Supplement): 87-102.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
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