Re: Petalifera ramosa with probable eggs [1]

January 12, 2009
From: Leanne & David Atkinson

Concerning message #21324:

Hi Bill,
Season's greetings, we found Petalifera ramosa laying eggs on New Year's Eve. There were two animals, one green and one brown in a large patch of Halophila. The brown one was laying eggs. Here is a series of photos showing its head moving across the leaf in a zigzag pattern. We can also see an orange line in the groove running from the parapodial cavity down to the right hand side of the head. Is that the eggs we can see moving down the groove? Sadly the leaf was curved inwards on the right hand side so we couldn't get any clear shots of what was happening on the right hand side of contact with the leaf without disturbing the process.

Locality: The Pipeline, Nelson Bay, Port Stephens, 5 metres, New South Wales, Australia, Pacific, 31 December 2008, Sandy silty bottom with Halophila surrounded by other seaweeds including kelp. Length: 40 mm. Photographer: Leanne and David Atkinson.

Some photos of the green animal are in a separate message [#22137 ]

Regards,
Leanne & David Atkinson

atk@hunterlink.net.au

Atkinson, L. & D., 2009 (Jan 12) Re: Petalifera ramosa with probable eggs [1]. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22135

Dear Leanne & David,

Thanks very much for this New Years present. In an earlier message of yours [#21237] I suggest that, as in Phyllaplysia taylori, the egg string is extruded from the common genital opening and travels down the anterior groove we call the external sperm groove. In a close-up of one of your photos we can see the yellow band along the right side of the neck which you describe - the right end of the band is at the common genital opening and the left end disappears down below the head tentacles. As you suspect, this is clearly the egg string doing exactly as described by Robert Beeman for P. taylori. In your message concerning the green animal [#22137 ] - which you disturbed, the photos show the groove and the egg-string very clearly.

So this is one little unknown you can cross off you 'to do' list. Thank you very much.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Jan 12). Comment on Re: Petalifera ramosa with probable eggs [1] by Leanne & David Atkinson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22135

Factsheet

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