Re: Sakuraeolis enosimensis - with parasite?

May 4, 2006
From: Song Xikun

Concerning message #16496:

Dear Rie Nakano
Dear Bill,
At present I have more than 100 adult S. enosimensis temporarily cultured in laboratory for my MS thesis, and of course, I have also noticed the swellings on the right side of them.

By the way, I find the spawning behavior of this nudibranch interesting, especially the shape of the egg ribbon. Based on field and laboratory observations, this aeolid has two types of egg mass. One type is around its hydrozoan prey, while the other is spawned into discal rings on flat substratum, e.g. the Ulva sp. or artificial plates. Similar egg mass spawning is also found in the nudibranch Flabellina rubrolineata in my laboratory. However, F. rubrolineata does not have these swellings. Thus the egg mass dimorphism might be not affected by the swellings. Anyway, you two have give me a good advice to understand the egg mass dimorphism from the viewpoint of swellings. I think, maybe, I can conduct histology studies of the nidamental glands as well as the swellings.

If you have other ideas about the swelling and the egg mass dimorphism, please tell me quickly, because the availability of this nudibranch in the field here is very short, after all, I have missed more than 1 years of this beauty.

Song Xikun

xksong@xmu.edu.cn

Song, X.K., 2006 (May 4) Re: Sakuraeolis enosimensis - with parasite?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16521

Dear Song,
Thanks for your message. I think the dimorphism in the shape of the egg ribbon you describe is more a function of where the ribbon is being attached rather than two different morphological types or egg laying behaviours. Nudibranchs usually lay a spiral egg ribbon, but when they can't lay it on a flat surface they do the best they can - which sometimes looks quite strange - and sometimes means wrapping the ribbon around a thin stalk as you describe.

It would be interesting to know if the swellings are only on the right side of the animal, and whether they are only present during mating or 'courtship'. Another point worth checking is when they first start to appear? If they are associated with reproduction, perhaps stored eggs waiting to be deposited, then we would expect them to only appaera after the animal matures.

It is an interesting phenomenon
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (May 4). Comment on Re: Sakuraeolis enosimensis - with parasite? by Song Xikun. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16521

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