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Nucella conference

Call?

Do snails communicate with each other?

“Don’t I know you?”

Sorting by size

Selecting ones ‘friends’

The image left is from the Seastar reproduction day (May 18^th)– but it could have been taken any day over the last 4 weeks.

I interpret these 9(?) same sized Nucella to be all of the same year class (thus same age = one year?).

It is not by chance they are all together

The pure white ones are mature adults at full growth

Seasonal grouping

	Reproduction called off
	This is the approximate area where meter wide area of egg cases laid several years ago (see file) but there was no sign of any egg laying this year (clumps of Nucella at numbers).

C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop\NorthCoast.net\nature\intertidal_nucella1.htm

Reproduction Called off for this year?

From 500 to a thousand ‘showed up’

The Nucella congregated and remained same area (not feeding, etc) for maybe 12 weeks. There were clusters of ‘sex’ (May 7^th below) but no mass movement down the wall into the pool to lay egg cases (by May 9^th were beginning to move back into feeding areas again)
(clumps of Nucella at numbers)

	Decision Time?
	Image left from week earlier – here it still looked like they were going to descend into the pool and lay eggs. It is as if they took a census – were satisfied with the numbers – and decided to re-absorb the eggs and meet again next year (same time same place – well relatively so – often not exact same spot)

	Eggs were produced other sites
	Not sure of the exact location now but several sites seen with fresh eggs about this time --- here the snails are clumped but few egg cases yet

Created by LG on 4/6/2004

Last updated on Sunday, June 06, 2004

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Do snails communicate with each other?

Reproduction Called off for this year?