Melibe leonina - the bell tolls?

February 17, 2006
From: Jan Kocian

Greetings,
Just a short note from Whidbey, my weekly visit to the Melibe leoninacolony in Holmes Harbor is showing the beginning of the end of life cycle of
the slugs I became now so attached to. I see many of their bodies floating
lifeless in the water column, some are slumbered on the Eel Grass while
others are on the sea floor. There are still many hundreds alive and
seemingly well, but this is the first time I see numbers of dead slugs.

Locality: Holmes Harbor, 18 feet, WAshington, USA, Eastern Pacific Ocean, 11 February 2006, Eel grass area. Photographer: Jan Kocian.

Also in the deeper portion of the area I saw number of them swimming in open water, I don't really know the significance of it.
I will sure miss them.
I will keep you posted.
Jan

honkoc@hotmail.com

Kocian, J., 2006 (Feb 17) Melibe leonina - the bell tolls?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15842

Dear Jan,
I know it's a natural part of the life cycle, but it will be quite sad to see them die off - your animals have almost become 'part of the family'. Looking back over your messages one puzzling thing is the lack of any large scale egg laying? Have I missed a message or have they missed a vital stage in their life cycle?
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Feb 17). Comment on Melibe leonina - the bell tolls? by Jan Kocian. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15842

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Melibe leonina

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