Re: Blue Hypselodoris bullocki egg-laying

March 3, 2009
From: Barbara Hanchard


Concerning message #12058:

Bill,

Unable to get a picture of the eggs actually coming out of the genital opening which would confirm that this animal was actually laying the egg ribbon and not transiting over it. Numerous others close by on the move and feeding but I didn't think to take photos of the ones feeding. While I find these slugs right across this dive site (Leilei, Honiara) they seem to congregate in larger numbers in one particular spot. Hope the photos are of some use.

Locality: Leilei, Honiara, 12 meters, Solomon Islands, Pacific, 21 February 2009, Sandy slope. Length: 30 mm. Photographer: N.Barbara Hanchard.

Barbara

nbhanchard@gmail.com

Hanchard, N.B., 2009 (Mar 3) Re: Blue Hypselodoris bullocki egg-laying. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22275

Thanks Barbara,

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the egg mass of this animal, as most of the 'colour forms' or species I am lumping in Hypselodoris bullocki [and H. apolegma] have this shaped and coloured egg ribbon [see message #7110] .  Interestingly, the photo your refer to [#12058] has a rather sinuous ribbon with multiple coils rather than the stiff ribbon of about one and a half coils which yours has. The  ribbons I have seen are usually as in your animal, but as you will see on the Forum, sometimes there are multi-coiled ribbons and they are not confined to a specific colour form.

I was interested in your suggestion that this species tends to  congregate in one spot. While this may be the result of some peculiar physical conditions -such as light or water currents - I wouldn't be surprised if it coincided with the presence of its food sponge or perhaps a large concentration of the food sponge at that site. Perhaps there are good growing conditions for the sponge at that spot. Have a look at photos in messages #19355; #16260 for good photos of its favourite food Euryspongia.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Mar 3). Comment on Re: Blue Hypselodoris bullocki egg-laying by Barbara Hanchard. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22275

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