Clione antarctica
(Smith, 1902)

Order: GYMNOSOMATA
Family: Clionidae

DISTRIBUTION

Southern Hemisphere in polar and cold temperate waters - Pelagic

Clione limacina was previously considered to have a bipolar distribution but Gilmer & Lalli (1990) show many internal and external differences between northern and southern hemisphere populations and consider the southern populations should be considered a distinct species, C. antarctica (Smith, 1902).

See message describing how an amphipod holds an animal of C. antarctica on its back to protect it from fish predation.

  • Bryan, P. J., Yoshida, W. Y., McClintock, J. B., and Baker, B. J. (1995) Ecological role for pteroenone, a novel antifeedant from the conspicuous antarctic pteropod Clione antarctica (Gymnosomata: Gastropoda) . Marine Biology, 122: 271-277.
  • Gilmer, R.W. & Lalli, C.M. (1990) Bipolar variation in Clione, a gymnosomatous pteropod. Am. Malacol. Union Bull. 8(1): 67-75.
  • Lalli, C.M. & Gilmer, R.W. (1989) Pelagic Snails. The biology of holoplanktonic gastropod molluscs. Stanford University Press: Stanford, California.
  • Morton, J.E. (1958): Observations on the gymnosomatous pteropod Clione limacina (Phipps). Journal of the Marine Biological Association, United Kingdom, 37: 287-297.
  • Yoshida, W. Y., Bryan, P. J., Baker, B. J., and McClintock, J. B. (1995) Pteroenone: A Defensive Metabolite of the Abducted Antarctic Pteropod Clione antarctica. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 60: 780-782.
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2006 (January 11) Clione antarctica (Smith, 1902). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/clioanta

Related messages


Amphipod uses Clione for defence

January 12, 2006
From: Roman Lustrik

Hi Bill,
Just wanted to note that an Antarctic hyperiidean amphipod Hyperiella dilatata carries around a Clione limacina on its back to avoid predation by fish. I found this in Invertebrate Zoology (Ruppert, Fox, Barns) page 656, paragraph 2.

No articles regarding the "symbiosis" cited at the end of the chapter, but I found some references in Google's Scholar but none of the relevant ones would work for me. Hopefully you'll have more luck. :)

Kind regards,
Roman Lustrik

roman.lustrik@siol.net

Lustrik, R., 2006 (Jan 12) Amphipod uses Clione for defence. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15527

Dear Roman,
Thanks for drawing my attention to this fascinating 'symbiosis'. Here is part of the abstract from Yoshida et al (1995):

"The pteropod Clione antarctica (= Clione limacina) is a shell-less, pelagic mollusc which blooms each austral summer in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. An intriguing relationship exists between C. antarctica and an antarctic hyperiid amphipod, Hyperiella dilatata; the amphipod, a frequent prey item of several antarctic fish, is capable of grasping C. antarctica from the water column and positioning it on its dorsum where the chemically defended mollusc serves to prevent predation of the amphipod. This protective property of the pteropod was demonstrated by the rejection of amphipod - mollusc pairs, as well as the mollusc itself, by predatory fish. Amphipods alone, or amphipods which dropped their attached pteropod, were readily consumed. Utilizing these same predatory fish as the basis of a bioassay guided isolation, carried out at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, has resulted in the isolation of a substance which protects C. antarctica, and ultimately H. dilatata, from predation. We report here the chemical nature of this feeding deterrent which we have named pteroenone."

This symbiosis reminds me very much of the xanthid crab Lybia which apparently defends itself by holding a small anemone, Bunodeopsis, in each of its claws. Concerning Clione antarctica and Clione limacina I suspect more work will need to be done before we can confidently say whether they are one or two species.

  • Bryan, P. J., Yoshida, W. Y., McClintock, J. B., and Baker, B. J. (1995) Ecological role for pteroenone, a novel antifeedant from the conspicuous antarctic pteropod Clione antarctica (Gymnosomata: Gastropoda) . Marine Biology, 122: 271-277.
  • Yoshida, W. Y., Bryan, P. J., Baker, B. J., and McClintock, J. B. (1995) Pteroenone: A Defensive Metabolite of the Abducted Antarctic Pteropod Clione antarctica. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 60: 780-782.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Jan 12). Comment on Amphipod uses Clione for defence by Roman Lustrik. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15527