Elysia timida feeding

April 23, 2001
From: Patrick Heurtaux


Dear Dr Rudmann

Here is a photo of Elysia timida feeding on an Acetabularia.

It was at the Baie de Peyrefitte (French / Spanish Mediterranean border), depth 2m, on 23 September 2000

Best wishes
Patrick

pheurtau@club-internet.fr

Heurtaux , P., 2001 (Apr 23) Elysia timida feeding. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4217

Dear Patrick,
Thanks for the wonderful photo. Acetabularia is a fascinating alga, and Elysia timida is indeed a fascinating sea slug. I have included an enlarged copy of your photo to show the inside of one of the parapodia. The mottled green region is where the green chloroplasts from Acetabularia are stored and kept alive in specialised branches of the digestive gland. Elysia timida, like other Solar-powered sacoglossans, is able to keep the chloroplasts it ingests from its algal food alive and functioning in its own body. Your photo shows the aggregations of chloroplasts very well.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Apr 23). Comment on Elysia timida feeding by Patrick Heurtaux . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4217

Factsheet

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