Tritonia festiva feeding on sea pens

July 4, 2003
From: Paul and Lily Sim

Hello Bill.
My wife Lily and I found this interesting scene playing out before us on the last dive of a trip to the west coast here in BC, Canada. At the time we did not know what to make of it but it was explained later that the sea pen here is bending over trying to fend off the Tritonia festiva which in turn has reared up to deliver its reply. We did not have the air to stick around and see who won. The first two shots are with a Bonica Multi (taken by Lily) and the third I took using a Nikonos V with a close-up-kit. Love your website!

Chup Point, Barclay Sound, British Columbia, Canada, Depth: 55 feet., Temp: 50 Farenheit.
Sandy gravel bed on a large pinacle. April 6, 2003.

Paul and Lily Sim

plsim@shaw.ca

Sim, P. & Sim, L., 2003 (Jul 4) Tritonia festiva feeding on sea pens. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10363

Dear Paul and Lily,
Thanks for these wonderful photos. As you'll see from Jeff Goddard's Fact Sheet, this species feeds on a wide variety of soft corals. However it is one thing to read about it, but quite to see photos. My understanding is that Tritonia festiva usually has to move fast when feeding so that the soft coral polyps it is eating don't retract before it has bitten off a piece. Perhaps with the sea pens, a quick bite helps it avoid being stung, as the sea pen 'colony' does not seem to be retracting.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Jul 4). Comment on Tritonia festiva feeding on sea pens by Paul and Lily Sim. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10363

Factsheet

Tritonia festiva

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