Re: Lophodoris danielsseni from Norway - first photos

January 19, 2006
From: Claus Nielsen

After posting message #15597, I contacted Prof Nielsen, an expert on entoprocts, for his views on the objects in Kåre's photo. Here is his reply:

Dear Bill,
Many thanks for your mail. There are indeed many entoprocts in the sea and many of them are undescribed! However, I don't think that the creatures circled in the photos are entoprocts. There is no scale, but I think that they are too small, and the description of a spring-like stalk which can retract the head indicates that it is actually a ciliate, something like Vorticella.
Very best wishes. Yours, Claus

Dr Claus Nielsen
Zoological Museum (University of Copenhagen)
DENMARK

Nielsen , C., 2006 (Jan 19) Re: Lophodoris danielsseni from Norway - first photos. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15617

Dear Claus,
Thanks for your rapid reply. I guess I shouldn't have used 'spring-like' in my description which does of course does suggest Vorticella, I was really trying to describe the way that stalked entoprocts I have previously tried to draw and photograph always tend to retract - or die. But you are right about the size. The nudibranch is about 10mm long so these little objects are probably too small. That's why I wanted the opinion of an expert in entoprocts.

So Kåre I guess we are back to square one. I still think entoprocts are their most likely food, bt I guess we shouldn't rule out bryozoans. The fact that there are a group of them together staying in one spot means their food is near by - or right there - very tantalising !
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Jan 19). Comment on Re: Lophodoris danielsseni from Norway - first photos by Claus Nielsen. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15617

Factsheet

Lophodoris danielsseni

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