Notodoris minor - feeding observations
January 2, 2001
From: Mary Jane Adams
Happy New Year, Bill
Here is a picture of Notodoris minor eating its way through a sponge. I shot this in November, 2000 at Karumolun Island in the Russell Group of the Solomon Islands. It shows skeletal remains of the sponge where the slug has consumed the soft tissue. It does appear that it has somehow sucked the tissue from around the skeleton. It may be that N. minor eats some of the smaller spicules while leaving behind the larger ones. This appears to be a different sponge than the ones I have seen N. minor eating in Milne Bay, PNG. [see my earlier message]
Depth: 6 meters
Length: about 3 cm
Water temp: 84 F
Best regards,
Mary Jane
divepng@yahoo.com
Adams, M.J., 2001 (Jan 2) Notodoris minor - feeding observations. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3457Dear Mary Jane,
Thanks for the photo. I have included a larger view to show the spicules more clearly. I also have the feeling that Notodoris dissolves the tissue from around the spicules before it swallows the 'mush' but we really need some direct evidence.
As to the identity of the sponge. I am not a sponge expert but I tend to think this is the same sponge, Pericharax heteroraphis, as in your earlier photo. Sponges are notoriously difficult to identify alive as they can vary greatly in shape and colour even in different part of the same colony. If you look carefully at your earlier photo the spicules seem to be of identical shape.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
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