Re: Diversidoris aurantionodulosa from Solomon Ids

December 12, 2008
From: Barbara Hanchard


Concerning message #21914:

Bill,
Is this a colour variation of the same species. It's been in my files un-named until I noticed Tamara's message. This one was found in the same group of islands as Tam's entry but at the other end of the chain of islands.

Locality: Florida Islands, 15 meters, Solomon Islands, Pacific, 29 May 2008, coral head. Length: 4 mm. Photographer: N.Barbara Hanchard.

Barbara

barbara.hanchard@ffa.int

Hanchard, N.B., 2008 (Dec 12) Re: Diversidoris aurantionodulosa from Solomon Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22087

Dear Barbara,
Thanks for this. Yes it certainly looks as though it is Diversidoris aurantionodulosa. I guess the sparse orange pigmentation is due to the small size of the animal.

What is very interesting is the sponge the animal is crawling on. I realise it could just be passing over it, but it could also be its food sponge. The only information I have of the possible food of this species is an animal we found in eastern Australia on a pink species of Darwinella [see Fact Sheet]. As that Darwinella is the food choice of a number of species of Chromodoris and Noumea I have considered it to be the possible food choice of Diversidoris. However the grey sponge your animal is on is almost certainly a thorectid sponge (possibly Semitaspongia sp), and that group of sponges is the food choice of species of Glossodoris and some Chromodoris. Diversidoris has a puzzling mixture of anatomical characters, which make its relationship to other chromodorids difficult to determine. Finding out its actual food may give us a clue to its relatives.

Your photo doesn't answer the question, but it certainly is a warning to me not to feel too comfortable with Darwinella as its food choice. It would be great to get some more photos of this species, especially if there was a sponge involved.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Dec 12). Comment on Re: Diversidoris aurantionodulosa from Solomon Ids by Barbara Hanchard. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22087

Factsheet

Diversidoris aurantionodulosa

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