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Diet, reproduction, settlement and growth of Palio dubia (Nudibranchia: Polyceridae) in the north-west Atlantic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2008

Jean-François Hamel ,
Philip Sargent  and
Annie Mercier
Jean-François Hamel
Affiliation:
Society for the Exploration and Valuing of the Environment (SEVE), 21 Phils Hill Road, Portugal Cove-St Philips (Newfoundland and Labrador), A1M 2B7Canada
Philip Sargent
Affiliation:
Society for the Exploration and Valuing of the Environment (SEVE), 21 Phils Hill Road, Portugal Cove-St Philips (Newfoundland and Labrador), A1M 2B7Canada
Annie Mercier*
Affiliation:
Ocean Sciences Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's (Newfoundland and Labrador), A1C 5S7Canada
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Annie Mercier Ocean Sciences CentreMemorial University of NewfoundlandSt John's (Newfoundland and Labrador)A1C 5S7, Canada email: amercier@mun.ca
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Abstract

Egg masses, juveniles and adults of the gastropod Palio dubia were found in shallow rocky habitats of eastern Canada dominated by the bryozoan Eucratea loricata. Multiple-choice experiments and direct field observations revealed that P. dubia prefers to feed on E. loricata. Courtship, copulation and egg-laying as well as hatching of P. dubia were closely related to the lunar cycle. Reproduction was preceded by increased pairing and aggregative behaviour. The duration of embryonic development in the capsules was 10–15 d. After hatching, most veligers were retained within the bryozoan branches during their pelagic phase (1–3 d). In multiple-choice experiments, settlement occurred preferentially on the bryozoan E. loricata. In the absence of the preferred substratum, the larvae continued to swim and died after a period that never exceeded 8 d. Juveniles remained associated with the bryozoans on which they settled and reached the adult size in ~3 months.

Keywords

nudibranchfeedingspawninglunar cycle
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Issue 2 , March 2008 , pp. 365 - 374
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

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