Re: First record of Polycera chilluna from S.Africa

February 9, 2007
From: Peter Southwood

Concerning message #19305:

Hi Bill
These two seem to be what you were asking for. Vulcan Rock is only a few kilometers from the Aster. They seem to recognise each other as the same species.

Locality: Vulcan Rock S34:03.967, E018:18.582 near Hout Bay, about 15 to 20 m, South Africa, South Atlantic, 28 January 2007, Granite corestone reef.. Length: about 25mm. Photographer: Peter Southwood.

Cheers,
Peter

peter.southwood@telkomsa.net

Southwood, P.B., 2007 (Feb 9) Re: First record of Polycera chilluna from S.Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19387

Dear Peter,
Thanks for the almost instant response. Although the penes are not actually inserted, it certainly looks as though they recognise each other as the same species. I hate to be too demanding, but a photo showing actual insertion would be valuable. I ask, because at times initial mating behaviour can occur when related species are in contact. We presume this is because chemical signals are similar in related species. However if two animals are not the same species, mating behaviour doesn't proceed.

Looking carefully at the white animal in your photo I can see a short brown-orange line between the rhinophores, which suggests its one of the group I identified as  P. chilluna. This would suggest that what we have in South Africa is either a mixing and hybridisation of two species - most unlikely, or evidence of subspeciation with a colour form in the Atlantic and another in the Indo-West Pacific - also most unusual.  This seems to be a situation calling out for some molecular research.

In the meantime I think it would be less confusing if I moved these 'P. chilluna' animals from South Africa to the P. capensis Fact Sheet. It is a very interesting discovery.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Feb 9). Comment on Re: First record of Polycera chilluna from S.Africa by Peter Southwood. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19387

Factsheet

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