Do Nudibranch's have brains? I must know!

[Mo2vation]

Lots of people I know don't have brains. So its not a deal breaker.

But I shot this little Janolus Nudi Claudette found this weekend, and as I was working on the shots, I noticed what looked like a brain between its Rhinophores (antenna, antlers, whatever...)

I just gotta know - am I looking at something that just really, really looks like a brain? Is a brain, or is sluggo here "brainless"?

Where the heck is Archman?

Thanks

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Ken



Janny #1. Full size here offers better brain shot

Janny #2. Full size brainiac shot here.

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This should probably go in Critter ID or something, but after searching the 700 forums here about 3 times, I couldn't find it or missed it and just gave up. So someone can move it there.

 

[alcina]

http://www.seaslugforum.net/search.cfm?searchstring=brain&search=Go!

A list of links to information on slug brains

 

[dlndavid]

Have no idea if they have brains, but that is a cool shot

 

[drbill]

Ken... brains, yes. Tiny (about the size of some SoCal non-diving types) but brains nonetheless.

Your pix are absolutely awesome. Makes me want to try shooting UW stills again (it's only been about 35 years). No, I'll stick with video but migrate to HD!

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Must say, dude, those shots are quite bodacious.

The second one is particularly well done...

Nice.

 

[Mo2vation]

Must say, dude, those shots are quite bodacious.

The second one is particularly well done...

Nice.

SO

Is that brain material thats looking all brainy, or is it some sensory organ aspiring to be a brainage, or is it just some brainery-shaped yellow flotsom that landed on the thing...

---
Ken

 

[Doc Intrepid]

Dude, that is some serious brainage...

Like the cavedude on Geico, its rather insulting, actually, that all these primates assume Nudi's have no thought processing capacity beyond sensations such as "food....hungry....cold....better get a latte....etc."

The creature in your photos, for example, merely appears to be cruising along in a sensory sort of braindead serenity...in reality it could simultaneously be pondering any number of philosophical thoughts such as "why are the tips of my bumpy things purple", "exactly where did Bush expect to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq", and "so where the hell did Della say all her girlfriends would be hanging out today, dammit, I should have been paying closer attention instead of taking bets on the damned Superbowl". Hey! It's plausible! This entire "lets assume the Nudi has nothing more important to ponder than lateral motation" is quite Nudi-phobic and primate-centric! And before any wild-eyed Speciesologist begins yelling "Blantant Anthropomorphism!", just remember - there is no actual proof that our waterlogged compatriot has not solved any number of quadratic equations in his younger days! Assuming that critters have no brains happens quite often on SB, and I for one am all over giving the apparently moronic an opportunity to demonstrate higher intelligence, regardless of how unlikely it may appear.

(LOL..."sensory organ aspiring to brainage" indeed...)

 

[DennisW]

I don't know if that is a brain, but those are nice shots. Thanks.

 

[Mo2vation]

I sent an eMail to David, along with links to the pics - and I told him the story of how we found this guy, and I asked the question: Brain??

Here's his response:


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Ken:

Nice pics. Hope you had enough air to complete the dive.(<--reference to a side bar in my original eMail to him)

This is Janolus barbarensis for sure because you can see that the liver
diverticulum in the cerata are branched. In J. fuscus it is not
branched.

The feature you are calling the brain is actually a very unique sensory
organ found only in the genus. It is called the Carnuncle (pg 53 of my
Behavior book). It's actual function is unknown. The brain lies just
below this organ.

Thanks. Love it.

David Behrens