Glossodoris cincta - sponge association

August 23, 2006
From: Bill Rudman


While tidying up some old photographic files recently I found this valuable photo which was kindly sent to me by Richard Willan many years ago, of one of the colour forms of Glossodoris cincta. It  includes the following note:

"Found live on Phyllospongia papyracea.. SCUBA 25 ft on sand near coral, off Champagne Beach, Hog Harbour, Espiritu Santo Is., Vanuatu. coll R.C. Willan. 1 August 1976. " [Glossodoris specimen AM C462529].

It has been difficult to find good feeding information on Glossodoris cincta, not because it is particularly uncommon, but because it seems to feed on sponges which are often overgrown with algae, or partially covered in detritus. Glossodoris cincta appears to be restricted to thorectids. The very good colour match between the nudibranch and the sponge in Richard's photo, suggests to me that it may be worth making a special effort in identifying the sponges the various colour forms of G. cincta is found on. Although I could find no obvious anatomical differences between the forms when I revised this group, that does not mean that further studies may show there is more than one species. Certainly if the various colour patterns could be isolated to different sponges it would be worth re-examining the G. cincta 'colour group'.

Best wishes
Bill Rudman

billr@austmus.gov.au

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Aug 23) Glossodoris cincta - sponge association. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17585

Factsheet

Glossodoris cincta

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