Opposites attract even with nudibranchs

October 3, 2001
From: Valda Fraser

Dear Bill
The big Phyllidiella zeylanica selected this small lover. Can't imagine why because there were plenty of large ones about! I thought size would count!
Locality: Park Rynie, south coast KwaZulu-Natal, 25m
Date: September 2001

Regards
Valda

valdafraser@mweb.co.za

Fraser, V., 2001 (Oct 3) Opposites attract even with nudibranchs. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5356

Dear Valda,
I guess the simple answer is that in these animals 'love is blind'. Basically opisthobranchs are blind. Although they have eyes, they are so simple in construction that they are unable to form images and basically act as light detectors. So body size, and colour, are of little consequence in mate selection. Opisthobranchs seem to operate by smell using chemical detectors (rhinophores etc) and touch (oral tentacles etc). It seems that mate detection can involve the chance discovery of mucus trails but mates are normally discovered by chance 'bumping into each other'. In many species the male organ system matures long before the female system (protandry) so in a case like your phyllidiids it is possible that the smaller may act only as a sperm donor in this exchange. It is also possible that it may receive sperm from its larger partner and store in a sperm sac until its own eggs develop, but this is only speculation as few detailed studies on the function of opisthobranch reproductive systems have been undertaken.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Oct 3). Comment on Opposites attract even with nudibranchs by Valda Fraser. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5356

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Phyllidiella zeylanica

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