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When we explore our underwater reefs we are often amazed by the number of species that we find in a few square meters and as in this case even in a few square centimeters. We have said it many times that biodiversity makes a habitat and an ecosystem more stable, solid and long-lasting. Often we fail to realize the quantity of different species that live next to each other and obviously it is almost impossible to know and recognize them all.
Reproduction Peltodoris atromaculata Riproduzione intotheblue.it – Vacchetta di mare – Uova – Eggs
One thing that has always intrigued me is a kind of concretion or almost perfect spiral formation that I often find on very similar coralligenous seabeds, with the presence of the same species such as the Red Gorgonia, the Red Coral, the False Coral, the sponges of the genus Tedania and Verongia. For a long time I wondered what this spiral could be but I have never been able to find an answer.
Reproduction Peltodoris atromaculata Riproduzione intotheblue.it – Vacchetta di mare
The continuation of the dive and the encounter of four specimens of Peltodoris atromaculata the common Sea Cowfish, all very close to each other and the constant frequency of other specimens during the dive gave me the idea and the stimulus to delve deeper.
These whitish and almost perfect spirals are nothing other than the eggs of this nudibranch (Peltodoris atromaculata) that are deposited once fertilized in the shape of a spiral.
Reproduction Peltodoris atromaculata Riproduzione intotheblue.it – divergente rete a strascico
Even in this beautiful dive on a seabed that varies from 40 to 50 meters deep, we unfortunately signed the solid damage caused by fishermen, with a complete trawl net with dicergents, ropes and chains abandoned wrapped around a reef populated by century-old Gorgonians and the usual ghost nets or trammel nets grabbed. The images are eloquent and speak for themselves!
https://ceb.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peltodoris_atromaculata Gallery
