Dataset: Geange_and_Stier_2010 Charismatic Microfauna Sea Hare Size

All experiments were conducted in plastic containers (190 mm x 190 mm x 90 mm; W x L x H). To allow the exchange of fresh seawater,  approx. 80% of the surface area of the lids, and two opposing sides of containers were cut away and covered with 0.5 mm mesh screening. Containers were placed within large (2,670 l) outdoor flow-through seawater tanks (10 containers per tank). In each experiment, sea hares (Stylocheilus striatus), nudibranchs (Gymnodoris ceylonica), and cyanobacteria (Lyngbya spp.) were collected from the field. Prior to experiments, nudibranchs were starved for 3 days, and cyanobacteria were rinsed with filtered seawater, which removed associated flora or fauna.

Using a fully factorial design, the presence of nudibranchs (one individual present [mean length 40.5 mm ±  9.4 SD] vs. absent) and the size of sea hares (small [mean length 20.3 mm ±  1.98 SD]; medium [mean length 32.9 mm ± 2.5 SD]; or large [mean length 61.7 mm ±  5.4 SD]) were manipulated. The six treatments were randomly assigned to 30 containers, each containing a * 75 g tuft of cyanobacteria and 10 sea hares. Survival of sea hares was recorded after 15 h.