Re: Elysia on Caulerpa taxifolia

August 1, 2003
From: Baki Yokes

Dear Bill,
It is nice to hear that this species is very much fond of Caulerpa taxifolia, which is known as the Killer Alga in the Mediterranean. The individuals seen in Tim Glasby's message look very much alike the ones in my laboratory, which have been posted in the Forum previously as Elysia cf tomentosa [see first and subsequent messages]. I'm studying their feeding rate on Caulerpa spp. in order to see if they have a potential in controlling the invasion of exotic Caulerpa species in the mediterranean. But besides their feeding habits, we also learned much about their larval development. They lay eggs in a wide range of temperature, 18-29 C. The larva hatches after 10-14 days according to temperature. It is planktotrophic. I could not exactly find out when they settle down, since we have trouble with other zooplankton feeding on the veligers and only a very small percentage of the larva grown to adulthood. But I can say that after they hatch, it takes them nearly one month to attain 1cm in length.

They share one of the tanks with Oxynoe olivacea individuals. Another interesting finding is that both species never eat the Caulerpa leaf if there is an egg ribbon on it. The source of egg ribbon does not matter, both species show respect to each other's. Probably the eggs are protected by similar chemicals. I will inform the Forum after I get a complete result.

Photos: Elysia cf. tomentosa on Caulerpa prolifera leaves - middle row left & right showing leaves after feeding. Lower photo of Elysia veliger. Size: about 200um, 8 days after hatching

Best wishes
Baki

bakiyokes@turk.net

Yokes, B., 2003 (Aug 1) Re: Elysia on Caulerpa taxifolia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10601

Thanks Baki,
I am pretty sure your animal is the same as the one's I have identified as E. tomentosa. If Kathe Jensen agrees I can move all your earlier mesage to that page. From other messages, which are yet to be posted on the Forum, it appears that there are a number of papillate species we still have to sort out.

Your photos of the 'leaves' of Caulerpa prolifera after Elysia has fed on them are remarkable. I guess the translucent white patches are regions in which the cell contents have been sucked out by the Elysia, the network of green being all that remains of the plant material in the 'leaf'. I guess the centre of each white space is where the cell wall was pierced by the Elysia. It is interesting to see how well spaced these 'piercing points' are. I wonder how such spacing occurs - it can hardly be the result of random acts by the slug.

I look forward to further reports,
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Aug 1). Comment on Re: Elysia on Caulerpa taxifolia by Baki Yokes. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10601

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