Vayssierea from the Russian Pacific

April 20, 2000
From: Alexander Martynov

Dear Bill,
Here are some ecological notes on Vayssiera elegans in Peter the Great Bay:

From intertidal to about 5 m. Most common nudibranchs in all seasons of year. Found mainly under stones, with Spirorbidae (for example, Neodexiospira brasiliensis (Grube, 1872) (Det. Rzhavsky A.V.) Also found on the brown algae Laminaria japonica, L. cichorioides, Costaria costata, more rarely on Cystoseira crassipes, Sargassum miyabei and S. pallidum.

Reproduction from end of May to September. During the copulation, inverted copulative apparatus of partners don't penetrate directly to the genital openings, but joined to nearly entire mass (including inverted part of distal female part), situated between the specimens. Within "copulative mass" you can see the thin ejaculatory ducts penetrating the female parts. Spawn mass small, flattened, from round to bean-shape, attached usually to a stones. Usually about 10 eggs of red color

Distribution in the Far-East Seas of Russia: Japan Sea - Peter the Great Bay and Kievka Bay (about 100 km to north from Kievka I didn't find this species). Kurile Islands - Kunashir Id. (both Pacific and Okhotsk Sea sides)

PHOTO: Vayssiera elegans (Baba, 1930).
Japan Sea, Peter the Great Bay, Ussuri Bay, Sobol' Bay. June 1992, intertidal, under the stones. Collected A.V. Martynov, A.V. Chernyshev

Best wishes,
Alexander Martynov
Zoological Institute, St.Petersburg
Russia

martyn@AM3963.spb.edu

Martynov, A., 2000 (Apr 20) Vayssierea from the Russian Pacific. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2299

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