Mad as a Marine Biologist

High-res iheartnudibranchs: Mating Pteraeolidia ianthina’s. Adult Pteraeolidia are able to consume and harvest microscopic dinoflagellates that were in a previous symbiotic relationship with Pteraeolidia ‘s food, Hydroids. The nudibranch farms these zooxanthellae within its own digestive diverticula. It is those symbiotic dinoflagellates that give the species such a variety of colours, from brown to blue and purple. Juveniles of the species are white, having not incorporated any zooxanthellae yet.

iheartnudibranchs:

Mating Pteraeolidia ianthina’s.

Adult Pteraeolidia are able to consume and harvest microscopic dinoflagellates that were in a previous symbiotic relationship with Pteraeolidia ‘s food, Hydroids. The nudibranch farms these zooxanthellae within its own digestive diverticula.

It is those symbiotic dinoflagellates that give the species such a variety of colours, from brown to blue and purple. Juveniles of the species are white, having not incorporated any zooxanthellae yet.

Notes

  1. goregons reblogged this from mad-as-a-marine-biologist
  2. bad-jew-jew reblogged this from mad-as-a-marine-biologist
  3. themarinewithin reblogged this from mad-as-a-marine-biologist
  4. mad-as-a-marine-biologist reblogged this from iheartnudibranchs and added:
    Adult Pteraeolidia are able to consume and harvest microscopic dinoflagellates that were in a previous symbiotic...
  5. iheartnudibranchs reblogged this from iheartnudibranchs
  6. laconicamentebreve reblogged this from iheartnudibranchs
  7. iheartnudibranchs posted this