Chromodoris willani feeding, white sponge - Philippines

January 21, 2009
From: Marcel Tanke

Concerning message #22162:

Dear Bill,
I checked for more white sponges in my pictures, and found several gray / white ones with feeding Chromodoris willani on them. Sometimes it is difficult to recognize the color of the sponge, as it is covered with lots of other stuff growing on top of it.

All 3 pictures attached are from the Philippines. The upper two are from Anilao, December 2008. The lower one is from Puerto Galera, February 2008. Photographer: Marcel Tanke.

While going through the pictures, I also found other C. willani feeding on (red) sponges. I will send them to you in a separate message [#22171 ].

Best regards,
Marcel

marceltanke@cs.com

Tanke, M.A., 2009 (Jan 21) Chromodoris willani feeding, white sponge - Philippines. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22170

Dear Marcel,

At present we have records of this species feeding on thorectid sponges of the genera Semitaspongia and Petrosaspongia. I am pretty sure the sponges they are feeding on in these photos is a species of Semitaspongia. I have labelled a couple of areas in your upper photo and include close-ups of them. Area A looks like their potential food but I suspect it is an ascidian colony, or if a sponge it is the wrong superfamily. There is no sign of feeding damage on that colony. On the rock below A there are many traces of a greyish sponge [B] which I am sure is what the chromodorids have been eating. it certainly fits with the sponge in the middle right photo which is a thorectid. The sponge in the lower photo does not show a lot of detail but from many other photos I have seen, I am pretty sure it is also a half-eaten colony of Semitaspongia.

Thanks for looking for white sponges. Although 'whitish' these are not the same as the few sponges which can be described as 'white' not because they are a 'wishy washy' translucent colour, but because they are pigmented white or 'off white'. Whether they are white or not I am very happy to get them as they help us to build up a more complete picture of what this species chooses to eat.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Jan 21). Comment on Chromodoris willani feeding, white sponge - Philippines by Marcel Tanke. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22170

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