Tylodina corticalis
(Tate, 1889)

Order: NOTASPIDEA
Superfamily: TYLODINOIDEA
Family: Tylodinidae

DISTRIBUTION

From southern Queensland, south around the southern Australian coast to south western Australia.

PHOTO

Solitary Islands, Coffs Harbour Region, northern New South Wales, March 1988, 50mm long alive. On its food sponge Pseudoceratina sp. (Order Verongida, Family Aplysinellidae). PHOTO: Bill Rudman.

Tylodina corticalis is a primitive notaspid, with a large heavily calcified external shell. It has some similarities to Umbraculum umbraculum in the shape of its shell, but the external shape of the body, with large head and retractile penis is quite different. It is found from the intertidal down to about 100 meters, usually on its food sponge Pseudoceratina sp.(Family Aplysinellidae, Order Verongida). Very similar species are found in the Mediterranean, on the east and west coasts of North America, and southern Africa, where they eat related sponges. When crawling, the bright yellow body becomes elongate extending some distance in front and behind the shell, unlike Umbraculum, which is a much more circular in shape.

Reference:
• Willan, R.C. (1984). A review of diets in the Notaspidea (Mollusca:Opisthobranchia). Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia, 6: 125-142.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (March 7) Tylodina corticalis (Tate, 1889). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/tylocort

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