Striped dorid from South Africa eating what?

September 7, 2007
From: Valda Fraser

Dear Bill
In Jan 2001 you posted a message from me [#2670] with this fellow featuring as the star, Mr Stripey Dorid; a very common inhabitant in deeper water off KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Locality: Pumula, KwaZulu-Natal, 42 m, South Africa, Indian, Jan 2007, Sponge on reef. Length: 15 mm. Photographer: Valda Fraser.

My question today relates to the sponge on which it and lots of others were feeding. What on earth is the pink "stuff" on the sponge? Please help.
Regards
Valda Fraser

valdafraser@mweb.co.za

Fraser, V.J., 2007 (Sep 7) Striped dorid from South Africa eating what?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20660

Dear Valda,
I am still no closer to a name for this animal. It certainly has some similarities to Paradoris sp 1 and Paradoris sp 2 but that doesn't get us far as I don't really know if they are really species of Paradoris. Perhaps Terry Gosliner's school of dorid experts can give us some comments.

Concerning the pink stuff. My first thought was an octocoral with retracted polyps and on close examination I found what looks like a semi-retracted polyp with 8 tentacles which would support my octocoral idea. If the dorid is eating the pink stuff, and if it is an octocoral, that would be interesting, as dorids don't normally feed on cnidarians

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Sep 7). Comment on Striped dorid from South Africa eating what? by Valda Fraser. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20660

Factsheet

Unidentified - South Africa

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