A question for the experts
A question for the experts
This little guy looks like he's wearing headphones but the question is... Is this reproduction or predation?
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Re: A question for the experts
The headphones are snails right? But the odd nodules in the sea squirt are something I haven't seen before. Man Dusty2, you always come up with some great finds.
- nwscubamom
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Re: A question for the experts
Boy that's weird! It's a Shiny Orange Sea Squirt, but not sure what the bumpies are. And yeah, it looks like the headphones are snails.
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- Greg Jensen
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Re: A question for the experts
The snails are spiral velvet snails, Velutina velutina, which feed on solitary ascidians and deposit their eggs in the tunic of the ascidians. So the white nodules are probably their eggs, but this isn't their usual prey species- they're normally associated with Styela.
Re: A question for the experts
Thanks for the research Greg, Another picture for my unusual sightings file.
Wish they would go pick on Styela_clava and leave the orange guys alone!
Wish they would go pick on Styela_clava and leave the orange guys alone!
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- Huskychemist
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Re: A question for the experts
Dusty2 wrote:Thanks for the research Greg, Another picture for my unusual sightings file.
Wish they would go pick on Styela clava and leave the orange guys alone!
Just curious...what do you have against the Styela clava...sicking predators on them? Hehehe...
Very cool picture, by the way. Thanks for sharing, and thanks Greg for the information.