Re: Hermissenda feeding

July 22, 1999
From: Cesar Megina

Hello, Benjamin...and everybody:

Probably Conchita Avila, may help you better, but, as far as I know, they can be fed with many different (and surprising) foods, such as pieces of squid or pieces of mussels, as well as with hydroids (Tubularia has been used, but probably many others are suitable), anemones and ascidians. Conchita found that anemones (Haliplanella luciae and Metridium senile) are good food for adults, although juveniles grow better with Tubularia.
Reference: Avila, C., Tyndale, E. and Kuzirian, A.M. (1998) Feeding behaviour and growth of Hermissenda crassicornis (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) in the Laboratory. Mar. Fresh. Behav. Physiol., 31: 1-19).

My experience is in field diet, and it depends on prey community composition. In several harbours we studied in California, the main prey is an ascidian (Aplidium solidum), preferred even to hydroids (Campanularia and Obelia) or anemones. It is also possible to find many other prey, mainly hydroids and, in a lesser proportion, remains of anthozoans (Corinactis, Metridium).

Considering these field data, a good diet may be a colonial ascidian, easy to bite for them (without any especially difficult defensive system, such as a hard cover, or toxic...), complemented with a small quantity of a hydroid. The species of ascidian and hydroids will depend on what you can find easily (you must experiment).

Anyway, if I were you I would ask Conchita Avila.

Good luck,

Cesar
University of Cadiz,
Spain

cesar.megina@uca.es

Megina, C., 1999 (Jul 22) Re: Hermissenda feeding. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1097

Thanks Cesar,
I don't know why I didn't think of Conxita. At Menfi she gave me a number of interesting reprints, including the one you mention, on her work on Hermissenda at Woods Hole Laboratory, Massachusetts. Ben, her email address in Spain is conxita@ceab.csic.es.
Bill Rudman.

Factsheet

Hermissenda crassicornis

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