Melibe leonina pair

January 25, 2006
From: Jan Kocian

Hello Bill,
In November last year I was still enjoying the multitudes of Melibe leonina in local harbor, I came across one pair which was interested more in each other then in feeding , which seem to be the only thing the other hundreds of Melibes were engaged around them. However I don't think they were mating, since their heads were side by side. Do all nudibranchs mate in head - tail position?

Locality: Whidbey Island, Puget Sound, WAshington USA. Depth: 18 feet.
Length: 40 mm. 17 November 2005. Eel grass area. Photographer: Jan Kocian

 Jan Kocian

honkoc@hotmail.com

Kocian J., 2006 (Jan 25) Melibe leonina pair. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15314

Dear Jan,
If two nudibranchs are together on the same surface then the only way they can have their right sides together is to arrange themselved head to tail. However if they are on opposite sides of the same stalk or leaf, as in your photos, then as long as the posterior half of their bodies is attached - sole to sole - then with a little contortion, their front right sides would easily be able to 'get together' when they are head to head. I don't know if they have succeeded in your photos, but they certainly seem to be trying hard.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Jan 25). Comment on Melibe leonina pair by Jan Kocian. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15314

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. More photos of Melibe leonina
    From: Jan Kocian, January 19, 2006
  11. Parasite or hitchhiker? on Melibe
    From: Jan Kocian, January 18, 2006
  12. Melibe leonina on Eel Grass
    From: Jan Kocian, October 14, 2005
  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