66 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, VoL XIII, January 1959 
The lack of common absorption maxima 
between the extracts of Plocammm pacificum 
and the purple-colored blood is doubtless the 
result of digestive changes. The significant 
fact, however, remains that animals feeding 
on the pinkish purple, phycobilin-pigmented 
Plocammm pacificum develop purple hemo- 
lymph. The fact that these purple-blooded 
specimens also lay down a subcutaneous 
purple reticulum is very significant, showing 
the manner in which this particular pigment 
is transferred from plant to animal pigmenta- 
tion. It has been demonstrated that the por- 
tion of the streaks insoluble in water was 
soluble in hydrochloric acid. This solubility 
characteristic suggests the presence of a nitro- 
gen base, perhaps an amine. 
SUMMARY 
1. Fecal pellet analysis indicated that Plo- 
cammm pacificum is the major dietary com- 
ponent of red-streaked A. calif ornica. 
2. The coloration of the widely different 
color variants could be changed to a homo- 
geneous, indistinguishable pattern by feeding 
them a diet of parsley and celery leaves. 
The absorbed pigment from the digested 
Plocamium colors the blood of the sea hare 
purple. 
4. A pigmented compound may then be 
deposited in a subcutaneous, purple reticu- 
lum, having the gross effect of red streaks due 
to the filtering action of the brown cutaneous 
layer. 
5. Though all the pigments in the chain are 
of a red to purple color, they have been so 
changed in the body of the sea hare as not to 
have common absorption maxima. Their 
spectra show no affinity with Aplysia purple. 
6. The streak deposit is composed of not 
less than two component pigments. 
REFERENCES 
Berry, S. Stillman. 1907. Molluscan fauna 
of Monterey Bay, California. Nautilus 21: 
34-35. 
Cockerell, T, D. A. 1901. A new Tethys from 
California. Nautilus 15: 90. 
Garstang, W. 1890. List of opisthobranch 
mollusca of Plymouth. Jour. Mar. Biol. 
Assoc. 1: 401. 
MacMunn, C. a. 1899. The pigments of 
Aplysia punctata. Jour. Physiol. 24: 1-10. 
ScHREiBER, Giorgio. 1932. Ricerche sui pig- 
menti della Aplysie. Staz. Zool. Napoli, Puh. 
12 ( 2 ): 293 - 321 . 
