Re: An aeolid from Massachusetts

February 13, 2001
From: Chad Sisson

Dear Bill,
I checked with my advisor, Larry Harris, and he agreed that Alan Shepard's aeolids are Flabellina verrucosa feeding on scyphistomae. Note the white color variation and bright-white cnidosacs. Also, they have unusually swollen anterior foot tentacles, probably from being stung by some potent nematocysts. We have documented F. verrucosa with a similar morphology and diet on floating docks in Beverly, MA.

Alan, thank you for the excellent photos, this is a relatively rare feeding type of F. verrucosa.
All the best,
Chad Sisson
University of New Hampshire
Zoology Dept.

cgsisson@cisunix.unh.edu

Sisson, C., 2001 (Feb 13) Re: An aeolid from Massachusetts. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3783

Dear Chad,
Thanks for the message, and my regards to Larry. I've included another part of Alan Shepard's photo to show the scyphistomae stage more clearly.

For those of you unfamiliar with the word, the scyphistoma is the polyp stage in the life cycle of jellyfish. It looks much like a sea anemone and is a sessile, asexual stage which buds off free-swimming jellyfish (medusae) which breed sexually, completing the life cycle.

Chad, when you talk of a rare feeding type, do you mean this is a variety which only feeds on scyphistomes or do they find other food when scyphistomae stage of the jellyfish life cycle is completed?
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Feb 13). Comment on Re: An aeolid from Massachusetts by Chad Sisson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3783

Factsheet

Flabellina verrucosa

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