7 replies to this topic

[Polly Pirate]

Found at 10 feet in Bequia, St Vincent and the Grenadines. An interesting type of sap sucker that I haven't seen here before. Identification help please!

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[jander4454]

Possibly Chelidonura berolina

[Polly Pirate]

Am I right in my research that they are now classified as Chelidonura africana?

[jander4454]

According to WORMS C, berolina is an accepted species - http://www.marinespe...tails&id=532602
but Rudman believes C. berolina is 'is almost certainly a synonym' of C. africana - http://www.seaslugfo...t/find/chelafri

Take your pick!

[Leslie]

As far as we know Chelidonura species eat flatworms rather than green algae like the true sap-suckers.

[gina]

As far as we know Chelidonura species eat flatworms rather than green algae like the true sap-suckers.

I'm curious about this term "sap-sucker" being applied to marine creatures. I didn't realize algaes had sap. Any idea why they have that name?

Thanks,
Gina

Edited by gina, 21 September 2012 - 02:34 PM.

[Leslie]

You're right, algae don't have sap. I suspect the name is just a catchy alliteration & over-simplification of what's really happening. "Sap-suckers" are members of the opisthobranch order Sacoglossa and feed by sucking out the internal contents of algal cells.

For more info about sacoglossans check out the wikipedia entry - http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Sacoglossa - or browse through some of the posts on the Sea Slug Forum - www.seaslugforum.net -

[Polly Pirate]

Thanks for the links Leslie