Feeding preference of the sea hares Aplysia brasiliana and A. juliana from Brazilian littoral: Different trophic specialization

Abstract

ing preference of benthic marine herbivores provides insight into the ecology of the consumers, but also unveiling their trophic relationships and their presumable impact on seaweeds. We present evidence of feeding preferences in the sea hares Aplysia brasiliana and A. juliana, collected from two distinct locations on the Brazilian coast, based on experiments conducted under experimental laboratory conditions. Aplysia brasiliana from Forno Beach primarily consumed Laurencia dendroidea, a red seaweed known for its chemical defenses against herbivory, whereas individuals of A. juliana from Boa Viagem predominantly fed on palatable green seaweed Ulva fasciata. These results suggest that A. brasiliana has evolved a dietary counteradaptation to chemically defended seaweeds, while A. juliana displays a more generalized feeding preference for palatable seaweeds usually consumed by several marine herbivores.