Thuridilla hopei - mating observations

November 22, 2002
From: Nils Anthes

Dear Bill,
I am a PhD student in Evolutionary Biology, University of Muenster, Germany. My main interest is in mating conflicts in hermaphrodites, using hermaphroditic sea slugs as a model system. For mating experiments, we collected about 120 Thuridilla hopei from 2-8 m depths near Calvi, Corsica in early October 2002. As we only made lab observations, we are curious about any report of persons who have witnessed matings in the field (besides Andreas Ahrens' observation).

In contrast to the suggestion made by Erwin Koehler, we found colouration to be extremely variable even in these shallow waters. Specimens as dark as the one described by Erwin Koehler from 57 m depth were present as well as very pale slugs (very pale orange and yellow bars). The slugs did not mate very often, but we confirmed matings even in very small animals(about 6mm length) and with partners which were about twice their own size (= length). The largest animal we found was about 29mm total length (excluding rhinophores), which is larger than others mentioned in literature.
Best wishes
Nils Anthes

anthes@uni-muenster.de

Anthes, N., 2002 (Nov 22) Thuridilla hopei - mating observations. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8454

Thanks Nils,
Bill Rudman

Factsheet

Thuridilla hopei

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