Phyllidia ocellata in Solomon Islands

July 7, 2002
From: Rachel Murphy


Hi Bill
I've been an avid follower of your website for some years and finally have been able to beg, borrow and steal for a suitable camera to take nudibranch pictures. I took these pictures of Phyllidia ocellata feeding on an orange sponge. The divesite was Top Shelf, Munda, Solomon Islands, 25/4/02, depth 27m, water temp 28C.

Was wondering if it is defecating in first image?
Rachel Murphy

nudinut@hotmail.com

Murphy, R., 2002 (Jul 7) Phyllidia ocellata in Solomon Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7419

Dear Rachel,
I am glad you could get hold of a camera and take the photo of P. ocellata on its food sponge. I have included an enlarged view of the bit you thought might be a faecal pellet. I am pretty sure it is the anal papilla. Often we call the hole we can sometimes see on the back of these animals the anus. However in most species I have seen alive the anus is at the end of a tube which usually sits retracted into a small cavity on the back of the animal. Only when the animal is defecating does it extend the tube out of this little pocket. I guess its a way of protecting it from being nipped off by an inquisitive, or hungry, fish. So yes it probably is defecating but what you can see is the not a faecal pellet but the extended anal tube or papilla.

Thanks also for the ventral (underside) shot. Some P. ocellata are essentially black like this while others are yellow. I don't know if that will prove significant, but it is certainly good to build up some information s we can see if there is any correlation between dorsal and ventral colour patterns.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B, 2002 (Jul 7). Comment on Phyllidia ocellata in Solomon Islands by Rachel Murphy. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7419

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Phyllidia ocellata

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