Flabellina pricei feeding

September 4, 2006
From: Kevin Lee

Hi Doc,

During my last dive, I saw a strange "stalked" organism, about 3.5 inches tall (foto A). It reminded me of a Windmill Worm, but, with the tentacle-like appendages, is perhaps a type of anenome? Anyway, nearby, I saw another one, only this time with some nudibranchs on it.  Two of the branchs resemble each other (H. crassicornis?), but the larger one, with only cerata visible, seems to be a different species? Are you able to ID any of the creatures in the fotos?

Locality: La Jolla Shores Canyon, Main Wall, 60fsw, California, USA, Eastern Pacific, 27 August 2006, Sandy bottom. Length: approx 1.4 cm. Photographer: Kevin Lee.

PS: at the base of the stalked organism, is what appears to be an egg coil. Perhaps Jeff knows what species it belongs to. Strangely, the organism did not retract, despite all the nudibranch activity on it.

Thanks,
K:-)

diverkevin@gmail.com

Kevin Lee, 2006 (Sep 4) Flabellina pricei feeding. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17691

Hi Kevin,

Let's start with the stalked critter.  This is the tubularid hydroid, Ectopleura marina.

As for the nudibranch, this is Flabellina pricei MacFarland, 1966). These two specimens mean to make a fast meal of this hydroid.

Not sure the egg mass belongs to them. It is quite small, compared to the slugs.

Best wishes,
Dave Behrens

Behrens, D.W., 2006 (Sep 4). Comment on Flabellina pricei feeding by Kevin Lee. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17691

Factsheet

Flabellina pricei

Related messages

  1. Mating Flabellina pricei
    From: Scott Gietler, January 8, 2007
  2. Flabellina pricei from San Diego
    From: Mike Neubig, February 22, 2006

Show factsheet and all related messages