Chelidonura varians - larval culture

April 9, 2003
From: Joe Yaiullo

I am looking for some help in rearing some Chelidonura varians. I have several breeding and laying egg masses. From the size of the eggs, I'm guessing they are going to be planktonic and I'm looking for a possible food source for them. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Joe Yaiullo
Atlantis Marine World Aquarium, NY

justjoe63@aol.com

Dear Joe,
I guess you are hoping to supply the aquarium trade with Chelidonura varians as the answer to flatworm infestations. Good Luck! Looking after veliger larvae is not that easy, as in aquarium conditions they often succumb to infections or get stuck in the surface film. Apart from those sort of problems there are the problems of meeting the basic biological requirements of the larvae. You would need to find a source of appropriate unicellular algae for them to eat, and you would also need to know what triggers their metamorphosis - that is their change from a free-swimming veliger larvae to a small bottom-crawling slug. It may be the smell of their post-larval food, but I'm afraid we can only guess that that will be a very small flatworm. Have a look at my reply to a similar query about Navanax. I refer there to a paper by Paige. It's on aplysiids (sea hares) but I guess the principle is the same.
Good Luck,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Apr 9). Comment on Chelidonura varians - larval culture by Joe Yaiullo. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9629

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