Information on Phyllodesmium spp.

October 7, 1999
From: Delisse M. Ortiz

Dr. Rudman:

Hi! My name is Delisse M. Ortiz. I am a first year Marine Biology graduate student at San Francisco State University and one of Dr. Williams graduate students at California Academy of Sciences.

My research is mainly gonna be focused on predator prey interacions among the Phyllodesmium spp and the octocorals they are "feeding" on. Looking at the literature at hand...I have come across with a lot of abundant information from your research.

So far I am gathering all the data and gathering as much information as possible as to the amount of described species as well as available information with regards to the interaction among the species and phylogenetics.

I was just wondering, if there was any information with regards to a key being done for the phylogeny of the Phyllodesmium species in any of the literature that I might have not come across.

Any information will be welcomed. Look foward to your reply when possible and hope that you have a good week.

Thanks!

Sincerely,

Delisse M. Ortiz

delmar22@juno.com

Ortiz, D.M., 1999 (Oct 7) Information on Phyllodesmium spp.. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1405

Dear Delisse,

Your project certainly sounds interesting. To my knowledge no one has published a phylogeny, cladistic or otherwise, of the genus. In a 1991 paper I discussed some of my ideas on the evolution of the zooxanthellae symbiosis within the genus. The possibility that adaptations for this symbiosis could have occurred a number of times, as they surely have done in other nudibranchs, makes any cladistic analysis fraught with difficulties. There are few morphological characters which appear to be independent of that symbiosis (except reproductive system).

Good luck.

Perhaps you would like to share some of your results by sending a message to the Sea Slug Forum.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B. (1991) Further studies on the taxonomy and biology of the octocoral-feeding genus Phyllodesmium Ehrenberg, 1831 (Nudibranchia: Aeolidoidea). Journal of Molluscan Studies, 57(2): 167-203.

Rudman, W.B., 1999 (Oct 7). Comment on Information on Phyllodesmium spp. by Delisse M. Ortiz. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1405

Factsheet

Phyllodesmium longicirrum

Related messages

  1. Re: Phyllodesmium longicirrum feeding
    From: Michael Henke, December 8, 2006
  2. Re: Phyllodesmium longicirrum feeding
    From: Michael Henke, December 6, 2006
  3. Phyllodesmium longicirrum feeding
    From: Michael Henke, December 6, 2006
  4. Phyllodesmium longicirrum on Sarcophyton
    From: Mary Jane Adams, January 15, 2004
  5. Phyllodesmium longicirrum - Lembeh Straits [2]
    From: Rich, October 14, 2003
  6. Phyllodesmium longicirrum - Lembeh Straits
    From: Paul Whitehead, October 14, 2003
  7. Phyllodesmium longicirrum from Sulawesi
    From: Mary Jane Adams , December 18, 2002
  8. Juvenile Phyllodesmium longicirra
    From: Mary Jane Adams, May 10, 2002
  9. Phyllodesmium longicirrum feeding
    From: Mary Jane Adams , September 10, 2001
  10. Natural history of Phyllodesmium longicirrum
    From: Derek Carmona, September 7, 2001
  11. Phyllodesmium longicirrum - feeding
    From: Monica Sullivan, June 19, 1999
  12. Phyllodesmium longicirra? or -cirrum?
    From: Erwin Koehler, February 16, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages