The food of Ceratosoma amoena

January 3, 2002
From: Craig Worthington

Hi Bill,
Just wondering ... I find numerous Ceratosoma amoena in northern New Zealand on both pink coralline 'paint' and coralline 'turf' algae. I'm aware that all Chromodorididae feed on specific sponges but do you think there is any chance that C. amoena may include coralline algae in its diet.

Thanks & Regards,
Craig Worthington.

craig.worthington@xtra.co.nz

Worthington, C., 2002 (Jan 3) The food of Ceratosoma amoena. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5889

Dear Craig,
Morton & Miller (1968 - N.Z. Seashore) report C. amoena feeding on a species of the sponge genus Dysidea in New Zealand, but I don't know of any other reports. I am sure it doesn't feed on algae. Humans can choose to be purely herbivorous but that is because our gut is designed for both animal and vegetable food. Purely carnivorous animals, such as nudibranchs, have a gut that can only process animal matter so they would starve if fed plant material.

While many sponges form very visible structures on the sea floor, others grow as relatively thin layers over the bottom, and are often overgrown with algae and other fouling organisms. I suspect the sponge(s) that Ceratosoma amoena feeds on grow in this manner, so even when C. amoena is actually on its food sponge it appears to be just crawling over some algae. A common chromodorid in southeastern Australia, Hypselodoris bennetti, falls into this category. It is relatively common but the sponge it feeds on usually grows as a layer over the rocks. The chromodorid is only found on its sponge when the sponge forms a large bulky structure free of encrusting algae.

The other alternative is that its sponge food is only present as small scattered colonies, which would mean the slugs will need to do a bit of travelling between meals.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Jan 3). Comment on The food of Ceratosoma amoena by Craig Worthington. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5889

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