Phyllodesmium magnum pair from the Red Sea
October 13, 2005
From: Binyamin Koretz
Dear Bill,
We found this Phyllodesmium magnum pair in the same spot where a week earlier we'd encountered a single individual. Perhaps he's the larger of the current pair but there's no way to be sure.
I thought this might be a prelude to mating, but we couldn't stay for more than a few minutes to watch (depth was 42 m).
Locality: Eilat, Divers' Village, Israel. Red Sea (Gulf of Eilat). Depth: 42 m. Length: 10 cm. 26 August 2005. mixed corals. Photo: Binyamin & Shulamit Koretz
Regards
Binyamin
binyamin@koretz.net
Koretz, B., 2005 (Oct 13) Phyllodesmium magnum pair from the Red Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14655Dear Binyamin,
They are certainly spectacular looking aeolids. It's good to see the purplish body and foot with the white edge so clearly, as it was a feature very obvious in the animals I described from New Caledonia. I guess they stay in one spot if their food is nearby and plentiful. I agree that their 'closeness' suggests a prelude to mating, but I must say that is the norm amongst nudibranchs. I guess its an evolutionary imperative to mate whenever possible, when meeting a partner is in many ways a matter of luck.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Related messages
-
Phyllodesmium from Lembeh, Indonesia
From: Brian Mayes, March 2, 2009 -
Phyllodesmium magnum from Nhatrang, Vietnam
From: Hua Thai Tuyen, June 5, 2008 -
Re: Phyllodesmium magnum on Sinularia
From: Gary Cobb, April 4, 2008 -
Re: Phyllodesmium magnum on Sinularia
From: Gary Cobb, April 4, 2008 -
Phyllodesmium magnum juveniles
From: Gary Cobb, April 3, 2008 -
Re: Phyllodesmium magnum on Sinularia
From: Gary Cobb, April 3, 2008 -
Phyllodesmium magnum on Sinularia soft coral
From: David Mullins, October 17, 2007 -
Phyllodesmium magnum - trailing observation
From: Jean-François Hervé, September 5, 2006 -
Phyllodesmium magnum from Elat, the Red Sea
From: Matan Ninio, April 13, 2005 -
Re: Phyllodesmium magnum from Thailand
From: Paul Whitehead, January 25, 2004 -
Re: Phyllodesmium magnum from Thailand
From: Paul Whitehead, January 23, 2004 -
Phyllodesmium magnum on Sinularia
From: Cameron Bee, January 17, 2003 -
Phyllodesmium magnum from the Marshall Islands
From: Scott Johnson, September 11, 2002 -
Unknown reef tank inhabitant
From: Dean Burchell, July 23, 2002 -
Reef Tank Hitchhiker
From: Mike Nolette, May 21, 2002 -
Phyllodesmium magnum - size?
From: Valda Fraser, April 10, 2002 -
Food of orange Phyllodesmium magnum
From: Leslie Chan, September 11, 2001 -
An orange Phyllodesmium magnum from Hong Kong
From: Leslie Chan, September 9, 2001 -
Phyllodesmium magnum from Queensland
From: Nigel Holmes, July 10, 2001 -
Phyllodesmium magnum from South Africa
From: Valda Fraser, May 26, 2001 -
Phyllodesmium magnum from Hong Kong
From: Bernard Picton , March 4, 2001 -
Phyllodesmium magnum from Japan
From: Yasuhiro Shirai, November 23, 1999