Flabellina bilas from Madagascar

February 22, 2002
From: Lindsey Warren


Dear Bill
Another specimen found during my recent trip to Madagascar. I found this Flabellina bilas on 22 January 2002 at about 1pm while diving on La Baleine rocks in the Iles Mitsio, NW Madagascar. It was crawling on rubble at a depth of 63 ft. L: 40 mm. Photo: Lindsay Warren.

Am I right in thinking that the red 'vein' leading into the cerata is part of the digestive system? If so, what is the orange mass which runs most of the length of the body? If part of the digestive system, why the difference in colour? Incidentally I have close-ups of the head and cerata should you want them for the Forum.

Looking forward to your comments.
All the best
Lindsay

alldcl@compuserve.com

Warren, L., 2002 (Feb 22) Flabellina bilas from Madagascar. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6224

Dear Lindsay,
Thanks for this photo. Yes the reddish dict is the digestive gland duct which runs up the centre of each cerata. The orange mass, which is not clear in the photo, will be the lobes of the ovotestis. In most aeolids the digestive gland is restricted to the cerata. Exceptions are Protoaeolidia atra which has a large section of the digestive gland within the body cavity, and those aeolids with symbiotic zooxanthellae. In these animals there is a fine network of ducts throughout the body wall to accomodate the symbiotic plants.

Concerning other photos. I would be happy to look at them - if they show interesting details of the head, rhinophores and cerata, they would be very welcome. This find is quite a major range extension for the species. It was described from Marshall Ids and Papua New Guinea and I don't know of other records further afield. Your record is certainly the first from the western Indian Ocean which would suggest that the species is probably widespread throughout the Indo-West Pacific.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Feb 22). Comment on Flabellina bilas from Madagascar by Lindsey Warren. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6224

Factsheet

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