Philinopsis cyanea spawning at Reunion Island

November 25, 2005
From: Philibert Bidgrain

Dear Bill,
Reunion Island sea slugs.
Following my message [#15334] about mating, I have observed spawning at the same pool at 'Kélonia center' a Marine Turtle Center in Saint Leu.

Locality: pool at 'Kélonia center', Saint Leu , Reunion Island. Indian Ocean. Length: 130 mm. 18 November 2005. Photographer: Philibert Bidgrain

Three very big specimens (130 to 140 mm) of this species produced a lot of spawns for several days Each spawn consists in a long (length from 10 to 20 cm) jellylike tube on whose surface a long chain of white egg mass can be observed. The spawn is fixed to the substrate at one end. Each egg mass contains 20-30 eggs in the same capsule. The different capsules are connected by a thin filament. In the same period I also observed spawning of small specimens (35_ 40 mm) in Saint Gilles lagoon.
It's the first time that we observed such event in Reunion Island.

Best Regards
Philibert Bidgrain
http://vieoceane.free.fr/runseaslug/indexslug.htm

vieoceane@free.fr

Bidgrain, P., 2005 (Nov 25) Philinopsis cyanea spawning at Reunion Island. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15333

Dear Philibert,
It always fascinates me the way aglajids make their egg mass. Apparently they wrap the egg string around their body, coating it with mucus, and gradually pushing it off the head end, forming the characteristic sausage-shaped structure. The little string holding the egg capsules together is called the chalaza and is a characteristic feature of opisthobranch egg masses. The number of eggs in each capsule varies from species to species, some only have one egg per capsule, while others, such as some species of  Aplysia can have 40 or 50.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Nov 25). Comment on Philinopsis cyanea spawning at Reunion Island by Philibert Bidgrain. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15333

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