Aphelodoris rossquicki
Burn 1966
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Dorididae
DISTRIBUTION
From Cape Otway to Wilson's Promontory, Victoria, Australia.
PHOTO
Pope's Eye, Port Phillip Bay, Vic, 6 Nov 1977. PHOTO: Rudie Kuiter.
According to Burn (1989) this species is found from Cape Otway to Wilson's Promontory, Victoria, in southern Australia, a distance of about 300 kilometres. It is said to differ from another species, A. lawsae in being 'darker in colour, with a stronger brown reticulation on the dorsum'. A. lawsae has an equally small distribution range in South Australia from Ceduna to St Vincent's Gulf. Both species have prominently raised rhinophore pockets and an orange border to the foot. They grow to about 50mm long. The various southern species are said to differ by slight differences in the shape of the radular teeth and arrangement of the reproductive organs. Two other species have similarly restricted distributions [A. greeni - northern Tasmania; A. juliae - southeastern Tasmania]. Clearly this group is ripe for further study.
References:
•Burn, R. (1966) Notes on opisthobranchs mainly from South Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum, 15: 329-352.
•Burn, R. (1989) Chapter 12. Opisthobranchs: 725-788. In: Marine Invertebrates of South Australia, Part 2. [Eds: S.A.Shepherd., I.M. Thomas]. South Australian Govt. Printing Office: Adelaide.
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (April 20) Aphelodoris rossquicki Burn 1966. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/apheross
