Naked Dirona

[Tom Nic]

I've read in my nudi books that Alabaster Nudibranchs will readily shed their cerrata if attacked? or bothered? But until today I hadn't seen one that had - or at least that I presumed had.

Check out the White Lined Dirona on the left - looking very naked and chilly without it's cerrata! Either some are starting to grow back or else only the small ones were left.

[nwscubamom]

OK, that's REALLY cool! I've never seen that! I'd read the same thing too, Tom, but never have witnessed it. (like California Sea Cucumbers spewing their guts out to foil a predator - never seen that either)

Great catch and nice shot!

- Janna

[Greg Jensen]

I saw a Dirona lose its cerata to a rose star (one of the few things that eat nudies). The star raised a couple arms up high and slapped them down on the Dirona, and all the cerata were stripped off as it crawled out from underneath.

[Tom Nic]

Very interesting Greg! Now THAT would be very cool to see!

That's fascinating about the Rose Stars - I had never heard of anything eating nudi's - although if something did it figures that it would be a starfish.

[Scott G]

Very interesting Greg! Now THAT would be very cool to see!

That's fascinating about the Rose Stars - I had never heard of anything eating nudi's - although if something did it figures that it would be a starfish.

I have to admit, i've never spent anytime reading up on it, but i always had the impression that their weren't many nudibranch predators either.

I've been working on a nearshore rockfish stomach contents project this last year and have found quite a number of nudi's in the stomachs of fish... mostly in greenling.

Scott

[Tom Nic]

Very interesting Greg! Now THAT would be very cool to see!

That's fascinating about the Rose Stars - I had never heard of anything eating nudi's - although if something did it figures that it would be a starfish.

I have to admit, i've never spent anytime reading up on it, but i always had the impression that their weren't many nudibranch predators either.

I've been working on a nearshore rockfish stomach contents project this last year and have found quite a number of nudi's in the stomachs of fish... mostly in greenling.

Scott

Wow! That IS interesting! Any particular species of nudi or could you tell? You'd think that if nudi's were more than an occasional part of Rockfish' diet that folks would observe predations? Unless it is only certain niche species - i.e. this type actually tastes "good" or is palatable? Just wondering outloud... SO many questions! I greatly appreciate the responses.

Tom

[Scott G]

the last time i did it is fresh in my mind... there were several clown nudi's and those Nanimo dorids (watermelon dorids) or whatever they're called.

was funny to see those because i had just posted wondering if anyone knew why they were in pairs pushing each other around then i found 3 pairs of them in stomachs, none solitary.

Of course you also find rocks and corraline algae in their stomachs, so it is possible, but in my mind, unlikely that the nudi's weren't the taget of the attack.

interesting though, where the fish are from their are many more Diorna's (sp.?), Janolus, and those monterey yellow dorids... and i've never seen any of those in a stomach.