Mating of different species

October 1, 2002
From: Gillian Elliott

Dear Bill
I work as a biologist on Mantanani Island in the South China Sea off the coast of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

Recently I spotted a pair of sea slugs mating that were of different species of Chromodoris. Has this ever been recorded before? How could it happen...faulty chemoreception systems? Attached is the picture of this event - seen at 10m depth at
1600hrs.
I look forward to hearing from you
Gillian Elliott

gillyelliott@yahoo.com

Elliott, G. , 2002 (Oct 1) Mating of different species. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7664

Thanks Gillian,
From the position of these two animals I don't think they are mating. Although during mating their right sides need to be together, as their genital openings are just behind the rhinophores, their heads would need to be much closer together for mating to be physically possible. I suspect in this case that the upper one [on the right] is just crawling past. The question of interspecific mating is quite interesting but can lead to rather circular discussions. One way we tend to define a 'species' is to see what it will mate with. In the chromodorids there are problem groups which are either a group of very similarly coloured but distinct species, or one species with a number of distinct colour morphs. I tend to think that if you find two colour 'morphs' mating, then that is an indication that they are a single species. However I guess it could be argued that it is evidence of inter-specific mating behaviour. In the Forum, I tried to raise this very question but no one wants to discuss it. I posted a photo of two colour 'forms' of Hypselodoris bullocki mating. One was a fairly 'typical' colour, and the other has recently been described as a distinct species.

Concerning the identity of your two animal. The lower animal is Chromodoris annae and the upper one [on right] is a species or 'colour form' which I am calling Chromodoris cf. colemani, not because I think it is that species, but because it looks quite like it.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Oct 1). Comment on Mating of different species by Gillian Elliott . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7664

Factsheet

Chromodoris annae

Related messages

  1. Chromodoris annae ? feeding on ascidians
    From: Franca Wermuth, January 14, 2010
  2. Chromodoris annae found sthn Queensland
    From: Gary Cobb, December 21, 2009
  3. Chromodoris annae, C. dianae & C. willani on one sponge
    From: Mirjam Broos, November 18, 2009
  4. Chromodoris annae feeding, white sponge - Philippines
    From: Marcel Tanke, January 19, 2009
  5. Chromodoris annae with 2 separate mantles
    From: Marcel A. Tanke, July 17, 2008
  6. Multi-lined C. annae from Vietnam
    From: Mike Krampf, September 11, 2006
  7. Is this Chromodoris magnifica?
    From: Asther M. Lau, March 3, 2006
  8. Chromodoris annae feeding - SE Sulawesi
    From: Lindsay Warren, October 6, 2005
  9. Chromodoris annae feeding on ascidians
    From: Roberto Sozzani, February 18, 2004
  10. Chromodoris annae on sponge
    From: Roberto Sozzani, January 29, 2004
  11. Chromodoris annae on sponge
    From: Roberto Sozzani, January 29, 2004
  12. Chromodoris annae from Malaysia
    From: Fredy Brauchli, January 26, 2004
  13. Abnormal Chromodoris annae
    From: Paul Whitehead, June 12, 2003
  14. Chromodoris annae from Malaysia
    From: Harro Quitzau, May 16, 2003
  15. Chromodoris annae with trifurcated rhinophore
    From: Mary Jane Adams, December 10, 2002
  16. Chromodoris annae from North Sulawesi
    From: Marli Wakeling, October 6, 2002
  17. Re: Chromodoris magnifica vs. C. annae
    From: Erwin Koehler, August 1, 2002
  18. Chromodoris magnifica vs. C. annae
    From: Erwin Koehler, July 31, 2002
  19. Re: Chromodoris annae - Strange discovery
    From: Jun Imamoto, May 15, 2002
  20. Re: Chromodoris annae - Strange discovery
    From: Brian K. Penney, May 7, 2002
  21. Chromodoris annae - Strange discovery
    From: Jun Imamoto, May 3, 2002
  22. Chromodoris annae from the Solomons
    From: Bruce Potter, April 16, 2002
  23. Colour variation in Chromodoris annae
    From: Bernard Picton , March 13, 2002
  24. Chromodoris annae from the Philippines
    From: Erwin Koehler, January 11, 2002
  25. Chromodoris annae, I believe
    From: Ken Tucker, August 14, 2001
  26. Is it Chromodoris michaeli?
    From: Carrie, June 29, 2001
  27. Student in need of help
    From: William Misa, January 5, 2001
  28. Chromodoris annae for sale in Brazil
    From: Carlo Magenta-da-Cunha, April 21, 2000
  29. Chromodoris annae from Malaysia
    From: Erwin Koehler, March 11, 2000
  30. My school project on Chromodoris annae
    From: B. Friedman , February 22, 2000
  31. Chromodoris annae from Vanuatu
    From: Vinka Stenhouse, November 24, 1999
  32. Chromodoris annae from W.Australia
    From: Clay Bryce, April 27, 1999
  33. Chromodoris annae? from Philippines
    From: Erwin Koehler, January 16, 1999
  34. Another Chromodoris annae from Sulawesi
    From: Lindsay Warren , December 19, 1998
  35. Chr. annae juvenile? from SE Sulawesi
    From: Lindsay Warren, November 29, 1998
  36. Chromodoris annae from Sulawesi
    From: Lindsay Warren, November 19, 1998
  37. Chromodoris elisabethina from Sulawesi
    From: Lindsay Warren, November 19, 1998

Show factsheet and all related messages