Glaucus detecting prey

March 15, 2001
From: Belinda Biggam

I am trying to find out how nudibranchs detect their prey. I am particularly interested in how Glaucus sp. detects and hunts down Physalia. I have trawled through numerous text books and searched the web but to no avail. Would you be able to enlighten me. Look forward to hearing from you ASAP - i'm a researcher in natural history tv and have got an urgent deadline to meet!!
Many thanks.
Belinda Biggam

belindab@thefutureiswild.com

Biggam, B., 2001 (Mar 15) Glaucus detecting prey. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3891

Dear Belinda,
Many nudibranchs appear to use their rhinophores to sense chemicals in the water and so locate potential food. But this only works when the water is relatively still and the predator can move towards the source of the chemical 'smell'

I know of no study on how Glaucus finds its prey. Glaucus and Glaucilla spend their life floating upside down at the water surface, their foot playing little if any role in locomotion. Like Physalia and other siphonophores, the glaucids seem to be at the mercy of the winds and currents. As I have mentioned elsewhere, Sir Alistair Hardy described this assemblage of animals as 'the blue fleet' clustered together by the currents and eddies. I guess Glaucus can move a bit by lateral flexion of their body, but I suspect they find their food by chance encounters.

I'm sorry if my ASAP has not been as soon as your tv deadline desired but I do this on a voluntary basis. Like kids who want immediate answers for late school projects, I sympathise, but can't oblige.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Mar 15). Comment on Glaucus detecting prey by Belinda Biggam. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3891

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