Philinopsis depicta from the Mediterranean

May 13, 2009
From: Dominique Horst


Concerning message #5793:

Hi Bill,

I've finally found my first Philinopsis depicta. It has no flagellum as a 'tail' and looks like an old shoe ...

While I was watching it [middle photo] it made a stop on a hydroid, but then kept on crawling. I remember your message about the fact we don't know yet what Aglaja tricolorata eats. I supposed it's the same case for Philinopsis depicta? I've notice in an earlier message that it can eat Elysia timida....

Locality: Cagnes, 10 m, France, Mediterranean sea, 08/05/2009. Length: 40 mm. Photographer: Dominique Horst.

Kind regards,
Dominique

dominique.horst@wanadoo.fr

Horst, D., 2009 (May 13) Philinopsis depicta from the Mediterranean. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22450

Dear Dom,

Species of Philinopsis feed on a wide variety of bubble-shelled cephalaspideans such as species of Bulla and Haminoea. They also have been reported eating some sacoglossans. We have records on the Forum of P. depicta feeding on Elysia timida and a species of Aglaja in the Caribbean. I suspect there are other records in the literature of it feeding on bubble shells.

As I discussed in your earlier message [#21856], I am still waiting for someone to discover the food of species of the genus  Aglaja . Perhaps 2009 will be the year!

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (May 13). Comment on Philinopsis depicta from the Mediterranean by Dominique Horst. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22450

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