Micromelo undata with own garden

January 31, 2003
From: Valda Fraser

Dear Bill,
I have never seen a Micromelo undata like this before. How did it get to grow such a lush "garden" on its shell?

Locality: Pumula, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, tidal pool
Size: 15mm
Date: December 2002

Regards,
Valda Fraser

valdafraser@mweb.co.za

Fraser, V., 2003 (Jan 31) Micromelo undata with own garden. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9089

Dear Valda,
Time to mow the lawn! I guess not having to mow the lawn is the only benefit of the drought we are having here in eastern Australia - its about 45deg Celsius [105deg F?] in the shade today and my grass/lawn looks like it died some weeks ago - and if it doesn't cool down soon I may go the same way!

Now back to slugs. Filamentous green algae, such as Enteromorpha, are very opportunistic, settling on any clear surface and growing quickly. In this case their spores found the shell of Micromelo. Usually the occasional burrowing in coarse sand seems to keep the shells clean but in this case it looks like your Micromelo is living on a hard rock surface with no sand to burrow in. The only other example I can think of is a photo I have on the Forum of Haminoea cymbalum, with a similar crop on its shell. Interestingly, it was living on a rock platform with no sand to burrow in.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Jan 31). Comment on Micromelo undata with own garden by Valda Fraser. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9089

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