Aphelodoris varia
(Abraham, 1877)
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Dorididae
DISTRIBUTION
Common in New South Wales and probably endemic to that region.
PHOTO
UPPER RIGHT: Port Stephens, New South Wales, October 1980. 38mm long. Photo: H. McLennan.
LOWER: Showing colour variation.
A, Solitary Ids., Coffs Harbour region, NSW, March 1988. 47mm long. Photo: Bill Rudman.
B, Bare Is., Botany Bay, Sydney, NSW, July 1980. 60mm long. Photo: J. Fields.
C, Solitary Ids., Coffs Harbour region, NSW, March 1988, 27mm long. Photo: Bill Rudman.
D, Jervis Bay, NSW, Aug 1980. 45mm long. Photo: J. Fields.
E, Bare Is., Botany Bay, Sydney, NSW, August 1980. 50mm long. Photo: Bill Rudman.
A common New South Wales dorid from the intertidal to about 20m. Is soft to touch, like a chromodorid, and quite variable in colour. Other very similar-looking species are found around southern Australia and Aphelodoris luctuosa occurs in New Zealand.
Reference:
• Abraham, P.S. (1877). Revision of the Anthobranchiate nudibranchiate mollusca, with descriptions or notices of forty-one hitherto undescribed species. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877: 196-269
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (March 15) Aphelodoris varia (Abraham, 1877). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/aphevari
Related messages
-
Four Aphelodoris varia mating
From: Brian Ricker, January 28, 2006 -
Aphelodoris varia from New South Wales
From: Bruce Potter, November 4, 2005 -
Aphelodoris varia from Sydney
From: Andrew Trevor-Jones, July 18, 2003 -
Aphelodoris varia laying eggs
From: Leanne & David Atkinson, June 28, 2003 -
Aphelodoris varia at Port Stephens
From: Allan Saben, January 7, 2003 -
Aphelodoris varia - mating pair
From: Iain Whyte, January 6, 2003 -
Aphelodoris varia from Sydney
From: Ian Simpson, December 10, 2002 -
Aphelodoris varia? from southeastern Australia
From: Stuart Hutchison, September 13, 2000 -
Aphelodoris varia outside Sydney Harbour
From: Erik Schloegl, March 17, 2000