Re: Limapontia capitata on Vaucheria

November 13, 2009
From: Kathe R. Jensen

Concerning message #22765:

Dear Bill and Skip,

If I remember Tom Gascoigne's old papers correctly, Limapontia depressa will also feed on Rhizoclonium. This green filamentous alga is very similar to Chaetomorpha, but filaments are usually finer and there are short branches towards the bases of the filaments.

 Kathe R. Jensen

krjensen@snm.ku.dk

Jensen, K.R., 2009 (Nov 13) Re: Limapontia capitata on Vaucheria. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22781

Dear Kathe,

In your earlier message [#22758] you mention that Rhizoclonium and Vaucheria co-occur so it certainly raises the possibility that Vaucheria is in the locality - we just can't see it in the photos.

I haven't got a copy of Tom Gascoigne's paper at hand but in Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs Tom Thompson (1976) cites records from Gascoigne and others on feeding in Limapontia. L. capitata is recorded to feed on various filamentous green algae including Cladophora spp, Enteromorpha spp, and Bryopsis sp. while L. senestra is reported to feed on Cladophora sp. Vaucheria is the only food item reported for L. depressa.

This indeed is another example for anyone in Europe looking for a research project - you don't need to travel to exotic places to find interesting puzzles

  • Gascoigne, T (1956). Feeding and reproduction in the Limapontiidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 63: 129-151

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Nov 13). Comment on Re: Limapontia capitata on Vaucheria by Kathe R. Jensen. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22781

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