Notodoris minor from the Solomon Ids
December 31, 2000
From: Bruce Potter
Dear Bill,
I frequently find examples of the very colourful, large Nudibranch Notodoris minor. While being very pretty, it is usually not very active. So when I found this particular one at the dive site, Bonegi 1, just outside of Honiara in the Solomon Islands, sitting up in such an artistic pose, I couldn't resist filming it. As I moved around it with my video lights on, it's head followed the movement of the lights closely. It is certainly the most active N. minor I have yet encountered.
Regards
Bruce Potter.
bruce.potter@adventist.org.sb
Potter, B., 2000 (Dec 31) Notodoris minor from the Solomon Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3391Dear Bruce,
Thanks for the photo. Yes I must say that I would rank species of Notodoris with the Koala in the slowest mover's list. Koalas are supposed to be so listless because they are full of nasty chemicals from the Eucalyptus leaves they eat but I don't know what Notodoris's excuse is. Perhaps they just want to look very much like a piece of sponge.
One thing which would be worth looking out for, if they are common, is how they eat their sponge. Often they are found with a large pile of cleaned sponge spicules alongside their feeding site. It almost looks like they are dissolving the sponge tissue away from the spicules before feeding on the resulting soup. If so, this would be an interesting discovery. The alternative is that the spicules are eaten in conjunction with the sponge tissue and then passed out in the faeces, but the way the spicules are usually piled up suggests this is not the case. So if you feel the need to rest on the way up after a dive, a study of Notodoris feeding would be an good excuse.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
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