Gymnodoris inornata - feeding behaviour (2)

August 4, 2001
From: Leslie Chan

Dear Bill,

Following on from message 1 here are the photos of Doriopsilla miniata being eaten. In the Trio Island photos [upper and lower right] I saw the Gymnodoris attack the prey from the back. It extended something like a tube to suck the underneath of the prey. It seemed very powerful and even raised up the prey. But they struggled too long time I could not see the end. But in the Steep Island example [lower left] I discovered them just as the Gymnodoris attacked so I had enough time to witness that the victim was swallowed completely after 1.5 hrs

UPPER & LOWER RIGHT: Proboscis being inserted into body of the prey beneath the mantle near the gills. Trio Island, Hong Kong, April 2001. [Gymnodoris 4.5 cm long].
LOWER LEFT: Showing final stage of ingestion, body a wrinkled sac from which the viscera have been removed. Steep Island, Hong Kong. 8m depth. March, 2001 [Gymnodoris 5.5cm long].

See also my message showing Dendrodoris fumata being attacked.

Regards,
Leslie Chan

leslie@lesmart.com

Chan, L., 2001 (Aug 4) Gymnodoris inornata - feeding behaviour (2). [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4990

Dear Leslie,
This Doriopsilla miniata is being eaten just as Helen Hughes observed in her laboratory experiments which I described in my earlier comments.
Thanks very much,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Aug 4). Comment on Gymnodoris inornata - feeding behaviour (2) by Leslie Chan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4990

Related messages

  1. Gymnodoris inornata - reproduction
    From: Leslie Chan, August 6, 2001
  2. Gymnodoris inornata - feeding behaviour (1)
    From: Leslie Chan, August 4, 2001
  3. Gymnodoris inornata - feeding behaviour (3)
    From: Leslie Chan, August 4, 2001

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