Ceratosoma moloch from Okinawa

August 23, 2001
From: Bob Bolland

Hi Bill,
Here are a series of images of Ceratosoma moloch from Okinawa. Images show ova being deposited (all images in photo tank at home) which were a bright red color. The ova images bring up a question I've been intending to put on the Forum. Are the eggs, even when the animal is undergoing stress, as in an artificial environment, typical of the way they appear naturally? The enclosed ova images are no doubt quite atypical for the animal, and aren't in very good shape.

This is the first specimen I've personally seen on Okinawa. A most remarkable animal.
Data: Seragaki, Okinawa, Depth: 180ft (55m), 8 August, 2001. Total crawling length: 140mm
Habitat: Found crawling in an area of mixed sand / coral rubble and dense "leafy" brown algae species. Temperature at collection depth: 82F (28C) [HOT here! / at 3m: 88F (31C)]
Cheers,
Bob

bollandr@rapid-link.ne.jp

Bolland, R.F., 2001 (Aug 23) Ceratosoma moloch from Okinawa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5042

Thanks Bob,
Yes it is quite a spectacular shape. Concerning the stressed egg-laying. From my experience it is pretty obvious when there is something wrong with the egg ribbon, much as in your photo. Sometimes an apparently normal egg ribbon will begin to be deposited and then the animal will 'give up' and extrude an unattached section with streaks of yolk and egg material. In these cases the eggs, if present, are often unfertilised and nothing develops.

In other cases the eggs will be laid quite normally in their capsules but the ribbon will be attached in a tangle or a meandering line, instead of a regular spiral. Often the eggs will develop quite normally in these cases.

Cheers,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Aug 23). Comment on Ceratosoma moloch from Okinawa by Bob Bolland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5042

Factsheet

Ceratosoma moloch

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