Abstract
The feeding behaviour of the shelled sacoglossan Oxynoe olivacea was investigated to better understand the role and importance of this species in influencing encroachments of the alien alga Caulerpa taxifolia in the Mediterranean sea. We tested whether this slug preferred, as preliminary field observations suggested, an aggregative feeding behaviour and which part of the algal thallus, phylloid vs rhizoid, it preferred. Results showed that O. olivacea fed in groups and actively selected phylloid. This outcome poses important questions regarding the possibility that this species, fragmenting the alga thallus, could enhance dispersion and regeneration of C. taxifolia.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Gianguzza, P., L. Airoldi, R. Chemello, C. D. Todd & S. Riggio, 2002. Feeding preferences of Oxynoe olivacea (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia, Sacoglossa) among three Caulerpa species. Journal of Molluscan Studies 68: 315–316.
Gianguzza, P., F. Badalamenti, K. R. Jensen & S. Riggio, 2005. Relationship between egg size and maternal body size in the simultaneous hermaphrodite Oxynoe olivacea (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia, Sacoglossa). Marine Biology 148: 117–122.
Haven, C. & R. Scrosati, 2004. Feeding preference of Littorina snails (Gastropoda) for bleached and photosynthetic tissues of the seaweed Mazzaella parksii (Rhodophyta). Hydrobiologia 513: 239–243.
Jensen, K. R., 1991. Comparison of alimentary system in shelled and non-shelled Sacoglossa (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia). Acta Zoologica 72: 143–150.
Jensen, K. R., 1999. Aggregative Behaviour in Stiliger aureomarginatus Jensen, 1993 (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia) in Rottnest Island, Western Australia. In Walker, D. I. & F. E. Wells (eds), The Seagrass Flora and Fauna of Rottnest Island, Western Australia Western Australian Museum, Perth, 275–280.
Jousson, O., J. Pawlowski, L. Zaninetti, F. W. Zechman, F. Dini, G. Di Gujiseppe, R. Woodfield, A. Millar & A Meinesz, 2000. Invasive alga reaches California. Nature 408: 157–158.
Meinesz, A., T. Belsher, T. Thibaut, B. Antolic, K. Ben Mustapha, C.F. Boudouresque, D. Chiaverini, F. Cinelli, J. M. Cottalorda, A. Djellouli, A. El Abed, C. Orestano, A. M. Grau, L. Ivesa, A. H. Jaklin Langar, E. Massuti-Pascual, A. Peirano, A. Tunesi, J. De Vaugelas, N. Zavodnik & A. Zuljevic, 2001. The introduced green alga Caulerpa taxifolia continues to spread in the Mediterranean. Biological Invasions 3: 201–210.
Millar, A., 2004. New records of marine benthic algae from New South Wales, eastern Australia. Phycological Research 5: 117–128.
Trowbridge, C. D., 1991. Group membership facilitates feeding of the herbivorous sea slug Placida dendritica. Ecology 72: 2193–2203.
Trowbridge, C. D., 2004. Emerging associations on marine rocky shores: specialist herbivores on introduced macroalgae. Journal of Animal Ecology 73: 294–308.
Underwood, A. J., 1997. Experiments in Ecology: Their Logical Design and Interpretation Using Analysis of Variance. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Williams, S. I. & D. I. Walker, 1999. Mesoherbivore-macroalgal interactions: Feeding ecology of sacoglosan sea slugs (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia) and their effects on their food algae. Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Revie, 37: 87–128.
Winer, B. J., 1971. Statistical principles in experimental designs, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Žuljevic, A., T. Thibaut, H. Ellooukal & A. Meinesz, 2001. Sea slug disperses the invasive Caulerpa taxifolia. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 81: 343–344.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gianguzza, P., Andaloro, F. & Riggio, S. Feeding strategy of the sacoglossan opisthobranch Oxynoe olivacea on the tropical green alga Caulerpa taxifolia . Hydrobiologia 580, 255–257 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0447-y
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0447-y