Okenia purpurata from New South Wales

January 18, 2007
From: Leanne & David Atkinson

Dear Bill,
Here are some photos of Okenia purpurata we found on Amathia tortuosa with Okenia vena. They are so small they just look like white specks of broken shell until you look closely. These were photographed at 1:1 with a 105 macro lens and are still small in the photo. These ones had cerata with more yellow than white colouring. The ones we found in 2000 had white cerata.

Locality: Halifax Park Sponge Gardens, Marine Reserve, Port Stephens, 16 metres, New South Wales, Australia, Pacific, 13 January 2007, Sandy bottom scattered sponges, soft corals ascidians and bryozoans. Length: approximately 2 to 3 mm . Photographer: Leanne & David Atkinson

One of them seems to have a translucent frill around the foot on the left hand side. We thought it might be eggs but we can't get any individual egg detail when we blow it up.
Regards,
Leanne & David Atkinson

atk@hunterlink.net.au

Atkinson. L. & D., 2007 (Jan 18) Okenia purpurata from New South Wales. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19252

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