Hydatina physis laying eggs

January 28, 2004
From: Ian Hutton


Hi Bill
It's warm water time at Lord Howe Island, and this afternoon [27 January 2004] I was wandering on seashore at low tide and came across 5 Hydatina physis on the lagoon sandy floor. One was either laying or carrying around eggs. I watched it for an hour on and off and it just crawled around with eggs on its mantle. I hope you like the pics.

Ian Hutton

lhitours@bigpond.com

Hutton, I., 2004 (Jan 28) Hydatina physis laying eggs. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12032

Thanks Ian,
It's nice to get another observation of egg-laying behaviour in Hydatina. As I discussed in an earlier message from Japan, it seems that this species produces its whole egg mass before anchoring it in the substrate, which is rather different from most opistobranchs which cement the egg ribbon down as it is being layed. I found indications of the same procedure with Pupa kirki in New Zealand so perhaps it is a common behaviour within the Acteonoidea.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Jan 28). Comment on Hydatina physis laying eggs by Ian Hutton. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12032

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