Chromodoris willani feeding, white sponge - Philippines

January 21, 2009
From: Marcel Tanke

Concerning message #22162:

Dear Bill,
I checked for more white sponges in my pictures, and found several gray / white ones with feeding Chromodoris willani on them. Sometimes it is difficult to recognize the color of the sponge, as it is covered with lots of other stuff growing on top of it.

All 3 pictures attached are from the Philippines. The upper two are from Anilao, December 2008. The lower one is from Puerto Galera, February 2008. Photographer: Marcel Tanke.

While going through the pictures, I also found other C. willani feeding on (red) sponges. I will send them to you in a separate message [#22171 ].

Best regards,
Marcel

marceltanke@cs.com

Tanke, M.A., 2009 (Jan 21) Chromodoris willani feeding, white sponge - Philippines. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22170

Dear Marcel,

At present we have records of this species feeding on thorectid sponges of the genera Semitaspongia and Petrosaspongia. I am pretty sure the sponges they are feeding on in these photos is a species of Semitaspongia. I have labelled a couple of areas in your upper photo and include close-ups of them. Area A looks like their potential food but I suspect it is an ascidian colony, or if a sponge it is the wrong superfamily. There is no sign of feeding damage on that colony. On the rock below A there are many traces of a greyish sponge [B] which I am sure is what the chromodorids have been eating. it certainly fits with the sponge in the middle right photo which is a thorectid. The sponge in the lower photo does not show a lot of detail but from many other photos I have seen, I am pretty sure it is also a half-eaten colony of Semitaspongia.

Thanks for looking for white sponges. Although 'whitish' these are not the same as the few sponges which can be described as 'white' not because they are a 'wishy washy' translucent colour, but because they are pigmented white or 'off white'. Whether they are white or not I am very happy to get them as they help us to build up a more complete picture of what this species chooses to eat.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Jan 21). Comment on Chromodoris willani feeding, white sponge - Philippines by Marcel Tanke. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22170

Factsheet

Chromodoris willani

Related messages

  1. Chromodoris willani & C. magnifica feeding
    From: Patricia Dilworth, February 23, 2009
  2. Chromodoris willani feeding, (red) sponge - Philippines
    From: Marcel Tanke, January 21, 2009
  3. Re: Chromodoris willani from Yap, Micronesia
    From: Mitsue Yasui, September 19, 2008
  4. Chromodoris willani from Yap, Micronesia
    From: Mitsue Yasui, September 9, 2008
  5. Strange mutation from the Philippines
    From: Jeffrey de Guzman, March 19, 2008
  6. Re: Chromodoris willani - eggs & food
    From: Barbara Hanchard, December 12, 2007
  7. Chromodoris willani - eggs & food
    From: N. Barbara Hanchard, December 11, 2007
  8. Chromodoris willani from sthn Queensland
    From: Gary Cobb, August 8, 2007
  9. Chromodoris willani laying eggs in the Philippines
    From: Mike Krampf, August 7, 2007
  10. Another Chromodoris willani?
    From: Ken Tucker, August 7, 2007
  11. Chromodoris willani on the prowl
    From: Ken Tucker, August 7, 2007
  12. mutant Chromodoris willani
    From: Carlos Munda, July 19, 2007
  13. Chromodoris willani feeding in Sulawesi?
    From: Mike Krampf, November 29, 2006
  14. Chromodoris willani - feeding (3)
    From: Guido & Philippe Poppe, April 8, 2006
  15. Chromodoris willani - feeding (2)
    From: Guido & Philippe Poppe, April 8, 2006
  16. Chromodoris willani - feeding (1)
    From: Guido & Philippe Poppe, April 8, 2006
  17. Chromodoris willani from Sabah, Malysia
    From: Asther Lau, March 2, 2006
  18. Chromodoris willani from Sabah
    From: Asther M. Lau, January 18, 2006
  19. Chromodoris willani feeding?
    From: Asther Lau, December 6, 2005
  20. Re: Chromodoris willani feeding
    From: Roberto Sozzani, January 28, 2004
  21. Re: Chromodoris willani feeding
    From: Roberto Sozzani, January 26, 2004
  22. Chromodoris willani feeding
    From: Roberto Sozzani, January 23, 2004
  23. Chromodoris willani - where it lives
    From: Andrew Watts, July 31, 2003
  24. Chromodoris willani from Sulawesi
    From: Asther M. Lau, May 16, 2003
  25. Chromodoris willani from nthn Sulawesi
    From: Helmut Schirmböck , July 11, 2002
  26. Re: Chromodoris willani laying eggs
    From: Nick Gill, November 22, 2001
  27. Chromodoris willani laying eggs
    From: Nick Gill, November 12, 2001
  28. Chromodoris willani from the Philippines
    From: Mary Jane Adams , June 5, 2001
  29. Re: Chromodoris willani for sale in Brazil
    From: Paulo Rubens Cabral, August 19, 2000
  30. Chromodoris willani for sale in Brazil
    From: Carlo Magenta-da-Cunha, April 28, 2000
  31. Chromodoris willani from SE Sulawesi
    From: Lindsay Warren, November 29, 1998

Show factsheet and all related messages