Colour morphotypes of Elysia timida (Sacoglossa, Gastropoda) are determined by light acclimation in food algae

Elysia timida (Risso, 1818) colonizing the shallow waters of the Mar Menor Lagoon (Spain) exhibit a brown and a green morph. It was hypothesised that these morphs were the result of feeding preferentially on brown and green algae, respectively. E. timida and its potential food sources, Acetabularia acetabulum (Chlorophyta) and Halopteris filicina (Heterokontophyta) were collected by snorkelling during April 2010. Photosynthetic pigments were analysed by HPLC, photo-physiological parameters were estimated by PAM fluorometry and body colour was characterized by spectral reflectance. Digital photography was used to count the number and area of red spots (small red dots on the slug's surface) on the parapodia of the 2 morphs. In the laboratory, green E. timida was fed with A. acetabulum cultured under 2 light treatments (high light, 600 mu mol E m(-2) s(-1) and low light, 40 mu mol E m(-)2 s(-1)), and digital photography was used to monitor colour alterations in E. timida. Spectral reflectance confirmed the colour differences, but both morphs showed a pigment composition similar to the green alga A. acetabulum and showed none of the pigments present in the brown alga H. filicina, neither immediately after collection of the slugs in situ, nor after the feeding experiment. A. acetabulum grown under high light intensity changed from green to brown colour and E. timida changed to brown colour when fed with high-light acclimated A. acetabulum. Thus, E. timida colour differences could not be attributed to feeding on different algae groups but was likely the result of feeding on A. acetabulum growing under different light intensities.

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Costa J. Gimenez-Casalduero F. Melo R. y Jesus B. Colour morphotypes of Elysia timida (Sacoglossa Gastropoda) are determined by light acclimation in food algae. Inter-Research, 2012. https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00446

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Resource type Article
Date of creation 2024-11-05
Date of last revision 2025-01-20
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Metadata identifier ccb23bfa-5db1-541c-b531-7c2d6147b10f
Metadata language Spanish
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High-value dataset category Earth observation and environment
ISO 19115 topic category biota
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Name of the dataset creator Costa, J., Gimenez-Casalduero, F., Melo, R. y Jesus, B.
Name of the dataset editor Inter-Research
Other identifier DOI: 10.3354/ab00446
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Email of the dataset creator jcacosta@fc.ul.pt
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