The food of Phyllodesmium sp. 5

July 29, 2002
From: Nishina Masayoshi

Dear Bill,
I went to Hachijo Is. to confirm where Phyllodesmium sp. 5 lives. Fortunately, Kotaro Tanaka who is the owner of the diving operator "Con:color" at Hachijo Is. knows the place where they live and took us to the place.

As you suspected they live on the sea fan (may be Melithaea flabellifera) and lay their eggs there, I hope you could see the egg mass at middle and left of the photo. So I am pretty sure that this sea fan is the food and place where they live.
Data: 7 July, 2002
Location: Hachijo Island, Japan
Length: 15mm
Photo by C. Nishina

Best regards,
Nishina Masayoshi

nishina@wips.co.jp

Masayoshi, N., 2002 (Jul 29) The food of Phyllodesmium sp. 5. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7525

Thanks Nishina,
This species fits the pattern in the genus in which the gorgonian feeders, presumably without zooxanthellae, have unbranched digestive gland ducts in their cerata.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Jul 29). Comment on The food of Phyllodesmium sp. 5 by Nishina Masayoshi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7525

Factsheet

Phyllodesmium sp. 5

Related messages

  1. Re: Phyllodesmium sp. 5 from Indonesia
    From: Marcel Tanke, October 17, 2008
  2. Phyllodesmium sp. 5 from Indonesia
    From: Mike Oelrich, February 17, 2005
  3. Phyllodesmium sp. 5 from Hachijo Island, Japan
    From: Shouichi Kato, May 22, 2002
  4. Unknown Phyllodesmium from Solomons
    From: Mary Jane Adams, April 10, 2002
  5. Unknown from the Solomon Islands
    From: Mary Jane Adams, January 6, 2001

Show factsheet and all related messages