Hypselodoris ruthae from St. Kitts

September 9, 2002
From: Linda Ianniello

Dear Bill,
Here is a photo of Hypselodoris ruthae from St. Kitts [eastern Caribbean]. It was found at a dive site called Bedroom Bay, at night at a depth of about 40 feet, in July 2002. I also saw a couple at Paradise Reef, at night. They were all small, about 1 inch, and all on a brown sponge. This one shows evidence of feeding on the sponge, however the ones I find at home in Florida seem to feed on the same blue sponge as Hypselodoris sp. 4. (I have a similar shot of the oral veil exposed with one on blue sponge).
Do you think they feed on different sponges in different locations, or are they feeding on something on the sponge? As you mentioned in a prior update regarding this type, they all have the white line down the posterior face of the blue rhinophore club.

Regards,
Linda Ianniello

lindai@us.ibm.com

Ianniello, L., 2002 (Sep 9) Hypselodoris ruthae from St. Kitts. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7818

Thanks Linda,
This species is reported to feed on a species of Dysidea (Humann, 1992), and the sponge in your photo could well be a species of that genus. Concerning sponge colour, I'm afraid that some sponges occur in variety of colours, indeed in some species the colour can change from one part of a colony to another. This is sometimes due to symbiotic organisms living with the sponge. Chromodorids do indeed feed on sponges and they are fairly species specific. However some chromodorid species do feed on two or three related species of sponge so your sighting of H. ruthae on different coloured sponges could suggest either that the sponge is variable in colour or that the slugs feeds on more than one sponge.
best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Sep 9). Comment on Hypselodoris ruthae from St. Kitts by Linda Ianniello. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7818

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