Tochuina tetraquetra feeding on gorgonian

February 5, 2003
From: Clinton Bauder

Hi Bill,
I did a deep dive with some friends on Sunday [2 February 2002] just north of the Mile Buoy in Monterey Bay, California. The depth there is about 38-48m. At a depth of about 44m we found a Tochuina tetraquetra apparently eating a Red Gorgonian (Lophogorgia chilensis). To my (limited) knowledge this hasn't been documented before though this animal is known to eat other octocorals. The animal was between 180 and 200mm long.
Clinton

gecko1@apple.com

Thanks Clinton,
An interesting observation. It seems to be stripping the colony bare. I guess the water gives it sufficient bouyancy to crawl over the gorgonian without breaking or even bending its slender branches.

I checked in McDonald & Nybakken's List of the Worldwide Food Habits of Nudibranchs, and they list records of Tochuina feeding on a range of octocorals including the gorgonian Euplexaura marki, the nephtheid soft-coral Gersemia rubiformis, and Sea Pen Ptilosarcus gurneyi, which suggests a much broader diet than some other tritoniids. All these octocorals have very nasty chemical compounds in their bodies. With such a diet I don't know how Kuril Islanders can eat Tochuina raw or cooked. Perhaps its like a hot chili eating contest!
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Feb 5). Comment on Tochuina tetraquetra feeding on gorgonian by Clinton Bauder. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9156

Related messages

  1. Tochuina tetraquetra eggs
    From: Jackie Hildering & Glen Miller, May 17, 2010
  2. Tochuina tetraquetra and egg mass
    From: Jan Kocian, April 22, 2010
  3. Tochuina tetraquetra in British Columbia - feeding
    From: Jan Kocian, April 22, 2010
  4. Tochuina tetraquetra eggs
    From: Jackie Hildering, March 28, 2007
  5. Tochuina tetraquetra eating speed
    From: Beto Nava, May 26, 2006
  6. Tochuina tetraquetra from British Columbia
    From: Bruce Wight, October 24, 2003
  7. Photos of Tochuina tetraquetra
    From: Clinton Bauder, October 25, 2000

Show factsheet and all related messages