Navanax - yellow secretions

October 13, 2003
From: Tammy

Hi, and thank you for reading my questions. My Marine Biology class went to Naples Bay, Long Beach, California on Friday, October 10, 2003 and a Navanax was found. When one of the students put the Navanax into a bucket it left neon yellow mucousy stuff on his hand. The Navanax also put a good amount of yellow stuff in the bucket as well. When it was in the bucket with the water we could see some rows of whitish/yellowish stuff that looked like an internal organ of some type. I was wondering what part of its body it was.
Thank you,
Tammy

tcp1970@earthlink.net

Tammy, 2003 (Oct 13) Navanax - yellow secretions. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11210

Dear Tammy,
Navanax inermis belongs to the bubble-shell family Aglajidae, and all members of the family produce this yellow ink you describe. Have a look at the Yellow Ink Page on the Forum for some more information. There is a drawing I did many years ago of the anatomy of Navanax showimg the yellow ink gland which opens alongside the anus at the rear of the body.

I guess the rows of whitish/yellowish stuff you describe are streaks of the yellow secretion mixed up with the white secretions all bubble shells can produce when disturbed. As you will see on the 'Yellow Ink Page' we aren't sure what the purpose of the Yellow Ink is, it is possibly just an excretory product.
Bbest wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Oct 13). Comment on Navanax - yellow secretions by Tammy. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11210

Factsheet

Navanax inermis

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