Glossodoris cf. symmetricus feeding in Mayotte Island

March 11, 2010
From: Matthias Deuss

Dear Bill,

since Christmas my friends and I spotted at least two specimens of this nudibranch. Do you still consider it is a white-rhinophore variant of Glossodoris symmetricus ?

Locality: Mbouini beach, Mayotte Island, Comoros, Indian Ocean, 21 December 2009, Intertidal and muddy. Photographer: Matthias Deuss.

This one was feeding on a purple sponge under a rock. You can see a tiny bit of purple material between its gills. As we turned the rock over we saw the sponge floating : it had been torn away from its substrate. Then, having noticed the tiny speck of purple in the gills, I put the sponge in front of the slug, which hurried upon it.

I hope this information will be useful.

Regards,

Matthias Deuss

matthias976@hotmail.fr

Deuss, M., 2010 (Mar 11) Glossodoris cf. symmetricus feeding in Mayotte Island. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/23322

Dear Matthias,

Thanks for this interesting information. As far as the identity of the animal goes, I can't be 100% sure if these animals with white or colourless rhinophores [see #15447 from Tanzania; #22817 from Mozambique] but I think they are. However, as I have mentioned before white chromodorids with an orange and yellow border can sometimes be full of surprises when you look at their anatomy.

The purple speck by the gills could well be waste from the anal papillae but looking at your close-up of the sponge has me puzzled. It doesn't look like any sponge a Glossodoris 'should' eat so I will have to get some help to identify it.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2010 (Mar 11). Comment on Glossodoris cf. symmetricus feeding in Mayotte Island by Matthias Deuss. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/23322

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