Melibe leonina on Eel Grass

October 14, 2005
From: Jan Kocian


Hello Bill,
More photos of Melibe leonina, this time feeding (?) off Eel grass (Zostera marina).

Locality: Puget Sound, Washington, USA, NE Pacific Ocean. Depth: 20 feet
Length: 35 mm. 07 October 2005. Photographer: Jan Kocian

Jan

honkoc@hotmail.com

Kocian J., 2005 (Oct 14) Melibe leonina on Eel Grass. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14953

Dear Jan,
I must say that species of Melibe are one of my most favourite animals. Their shape is so unbelievable - but clearly very efficient. You ask if they are 'feeding off' the Eel Grass. If you mean are they eating the Eel Grass, then the answer is no. They have no teeth or hard parts so biting off bits of plant material is out of the question. All species that have been looked at feed in small crustacea - crabs, shrimps, copepods, amphipods etc, which they catch in their remarkable fishing net-like oral hood. Most species feed on crustacea living on the sand or substrate which they catch by feeling with the papillae (or feelers) along the edge of their oral hood, closing the hood around the prey and swallowing it whole. Melibe leonina also catches planktonic animals drifting past by holding its head out into the water current.

In your wonderful photos, the animal it is 'slurping' along the Zostera leaves attempting to catch any small crustacea living amongst the organisms growing on the leaves.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Oct 14). Comment on Melibe leonina on Eel Grass by Jan Kocian. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14953

Factsheet

Melibe leonina

Related messages

  1. Nudibranch odors
    From: Rick Harbo, December 10, 2009
  2. Re: Melibe leonina - locomotion
    From: J. Hildering & G. Miller, November 24, 2007
  3. Re: Melibe leonina - egg laying
    From: Jackie Hildering, July 10, 2007
  4. Melibe leonina fragrance
    From: Dave Behrens, May 26, 2006
  5. Melibe leonina - egg laying
    From: Jan Kocian, March 1, 2006
  6. Melibe leonina mating
    From: Jan Kocian, February 21, 2006
  7. Re: Melibe leonina clustered
    From: Nicole LaForge, February 21, 2006
  8. Melibe leonina - the bell tolls?
    From: Jan Kocian, February 17, 2006
  9. Melibe leonina clustered
    From: Jan Kocian, February 16, 2006
  10. Melibe leonina pair
    From: Jan Kocian, January 25, 2006
  11. More photos of Melibe leonina
    From: Jan Kocian, January 19, 2006
  12. Parasite or hitchhiker? on Melibe
    From: Jan Kocian, January 18, 2006
  13. Re: Melibe leonina loses cerata [1]
    From: Ingo Burghardt, October 6, 2005
  14. Melibe leonina loses cerata [1]
    From: Jan Kocian, October 1, 2005
  15. Melibe leonina loses cerata [2]
    From: Jan Kocian, October 1, 2005
  16. Melibe leonina from Puget Sound, Washington
    From: Jan Kocian, September 19, 2005
  17. Transparent sea creature from Alaska
    From: Ron Matecki, August 18, 2005
  18. Life expectancy of Melibe leonina
    From: Steve Johnston, June 7, 2005
  19. Melibe leonina larvae
    From: Jen Massey, March 8, 2004
  20. Melibe leonina from British Columbia
    From: Bruce Wight, October 24, 2003
  21. Re: Melibe leonina from British Columbia
    From: Alicia Hermosillo, September 29, 2003
  22. Melibe leonina from British Columbia
    From: Marli Wakeling, September 25, 2003
  23. Re: Mystery from Puget Sound, Washington
    From: Melissa, May 14, 2003
  24. Mystery from Puget Sound, Washington
    From: Melissa, May 7, 2003
  25. Melibe project
    From: Kenny Cottrell, May 11, 2001
  26. Melibe leonina back at Del Monte
    From: Clinton Bauder, March 7, 2001
  27. Re: Melibe leonina from Alaska
    From: William Cullen, January 17, 2001
  28. Re: Melibe from Alaska
    From: William Cullen, January 12, 2001
  29. My name is Melibe!
    From: Melibe Tardaewether, December 20, 2000
  30. Re: Melibe from Alaska
    From: Mike Merkley , September 7, 2000
  31. Another mystery from Alaska
    From: Michael Merkley, September 4, 2000

Show factsheet and all related messages