Navanax aenigmaticus from Costa Rica

May 25, 2002
From: Peter Ajtai

Dear Bill,

Here is a Navanax aenigmaticus from Las Islas Murcielago on the north western Pacific coast of Costa Rica. You can see the blue spots really nicely. The photo was taken by Ingo Wehrtmann. The Navanax in the photo was found in a tide pool on an island of volcanic origin on April 26, 2002.


I've noticed that quite a few Navanax have one "tail" (I don't know what the correct term is) longer than the other. It seems that in many Navanax the left one is longer. You can't really see it well in this photo, but this guy had a longer left tail than right as well. Is there some reason for this that you know of?
Take care,
Peter Ajtai.

ajtai@slugophile.org

Ajtai, P., 2002 (May 25) Navanax aenigmaticus from Costa Rica. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7031

Dear Peter,
Thanks for the photo. 'Tails' is a s good a name as any for the posterior outgrowths. They are even more pronounced in species of the related genus Chelidonura - the name meaning claw-like or chelae-like tail. In most species the left tail is longer than the right, but I no of no functional reason for this. Just one of life's little mysteries.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (May 25). Comment on Navanax aenigmaticus from Costa Rica by Peter Ajtai. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7031

Factsheet

Navanax aenigmaticus

Related messages

  1. The strange Chilean 'sinistrobranch' Posterobranchaea
    From: Michael Schroedl, March 15, 2007
  2. Chilean Navanax aenigmaticus
    From: Michael Schroedl, March 14, 2007
  3. West African Navanax aenigmaticus
    From: M. Schroedl, P. Ryall, T. Gertin, T. Neusser, March 14, 2007
  4. Navanax aenigmaticus from Brazil
    From: Wagner Torres, June 14, 2005
  5. Navanax aenigmaticus from Brazil
    From: Vinicius Anderson, November 15, 2003
  6. Navanax aenigmaticus from Jamaica
    From: Ross W. Gundersen, October 18, 2003
  7. Navanax aenigmaticus from Caribbean
    From: Nestor E. Ardila, March 5, 2003
  8. 'Aglaja evelinae' from Belize
    From: Dave Behrens, October 11, 2002
  9. Feeding behaviour of Navanax aenigmaticus
    From: Alicia Hermosillo, May 14, 2002
  10. Color variation of Navanax aenigmaticus
    From: Alicia Hermosillo, March 9, 2002
  11. Ink from Navanax aenigmaticus
    From: Elianny Domínguez Tejo, June 9, 2001
  12. Navanax inermis in Brazil?
    From: André Mazeron, February 20, 2001
  13. Navanax aenigmaticus synonymous?
    From: Phanor Montoya, February 5, 2001
  14. Information on Navanax aenigmaticus
    From: alecia, January 21, 2001
  15. Navanax aenigmaticus from Colombia.
    From: Phanor Montoya, October 3, 2000

Show factsheet and all related messages