Precise foraging schedule in an intertidal euopisthobranch mollusk

ABSTRACT Most studies of foraging in shell-less gastropods have focused on the ubiquitous generalist sea hares (family Aplysiidae; subfamily Aplysiinae: Aplysia spp., Dolabella spp). Here we studied movement in a specialist sea hare (the seacat, Dolabrifera dolabrifera; subfamily Dolabriferinae). Seacats in each of 7 different tidepools on Isla Naos in the Gulf of Panama emerged precisely when the daytime ebbing tide fell below the height of their pool, returning to their hiding places within 1-3 hours. This short, precise foraging pattern contrasts sharply with long, variable schedule of the generalist sea-hares. Combined with their reduced chemical and behavioral defenses, these observations on seacats raise the possibility that they are avoiding predators during high tides and at night.