Jason mirabilis from New Zealand

June 11, 2003
From: Mark Burnett


Hi Bill
I have a question about Jason mirabilis. Recently (April 26th) I dived on the Rainbow Warrior wreck after a gap of some years. While there was no shortage of Solanderia hydroids not a Jason was to be seen. During the summer there are plenty to be found. My question is, where do they go during the winter? I assume the adults die off. Do the eggs overwinter or the larvae? The water was 19 deg C so not much colder than the summer high of around 23 deg C. The photos included are also from the Rainbow Warrior taken in September 1995. Size 5cm, depth 18 metres, temperature 20 deg C.

Regards
Mark Burnett

mburnett@actrix.gen.nz

Burnett, M., 2003 (Jun 11) Jason mirabilis from New Zealand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10179

Thanks Mark,
We have a lot to learn about the life cycles of nudibranchs and what we do know seems to suggest that each species has its own particular story - or at least there are many different strategies employed by opisthobranchs to produce the next generation. Many species live for less than a year so during the time they can't be found at a particular spot their offspring are either in an egg ribbon or drifting in the ocean as a veliger larvae. The other possibility is that the next generation settled somewhere else that divers don't go. The presence of their hydroid food Solanderia at a certain spot is necessary for the larvae of Jason mirabilis to settle out of the plankton, but it doesn't mean they always will. There are any number of reasons why, on some occasions, Jason larvae never settle on even the most lush colony of Solanderia - not the least being that the microscopic larvae are at the mercy of the currents.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Jun 11). Comment on Jason mirabilis from New Zealand by Mark Burnett. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10179

Factsheet

Jason mirabilis

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