A very hairy Elysia

November 14, 2008
From: Brian Mayes

Hi Bill,

I found a pair of these camouflaged sea slugs together on a shallow reef in the Perhentians, Malaysia.
At first I thought they were leaves of weed, but after a while I noticed their slow movement.
They are about 2 to 3 cm long and were found at a depth of 8 to 9 metres.
I've attached photos of each for you. Do you think they are Elysia tomentosa?

Locality: Perhentian Islands, 9 metres, Malaysia , South China Sea, 14 May 2008, Coral Reef. Length: 2.5cm. Photographer: Brian Mayes.

Kind regards
Brian Mayes

brian.r.mayes@gmail.com

Mayes, B. R., 2008 (Nov 14) A very hairy Elysia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22036

Dear Brian,

I don't think this is what I am calling Elysia tomentosa. I have put a group of 'hairy' animals on a separate page as Elysia cf. tomentosa, because I think they have similarities to E. tomentosa but are probably different. To confuse the picture, I suspect there is more than one species in this lot as well. However amongst this lot there are a group with large unequal-sized parapodial lobes and a bluish patch on the head just behind the rhinophores [see Jun Imamoto's message #10563 and others]. I suspect your animal belongs with this group, but I have never seen one quite so 'hairy'. Perhaps the branched papillae are retractile and are not often seen fully extended?

Hopefully Kathe Jensen has some comments, but I suspect there is still a lot of work to do on the species of Elysia in the Indo-West Pacific

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Nov 14). Comment on A very hairy Elysia by Brian Mayes. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22036

Factsheet

Elysia cf. tomentosa

Related messages

  1. Unknown Elysia from East Timor
    From: Brian Francisco, July 29, 2008
  2. Re: Elysia pilosa & E. tomentosa (1)
    From: Jun Imamoto, August 7, 2003
  3. Re: Elysia pilosa & E. tomentosa (2)
    From: Jun Imamoto, August 7, 2003
  4. Re: Elysia pilosa & E. tomentosa (3)
    From: Jun Imamoto, August 7, 2003
  5. Re: Elysia pilosa & E. tomentosa (4)
    From: Jun Imamoto, August 7, 2003
  6. Re: Elysia pilosa & E. tomentosa (5)
    From: Jun Imamoto, August 7, 2003
  7. Elysia cf. tomentosa and egg mass
    From: Nishina Masayoshi, May 20, 2002
  8. Elysia tomentosa from the Solomon Ids
    From: Bruce Potter, April 25, 2002
  9. Re: I think this is Elysia cf. tomentosa
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, March 23, 2002
  10. More on Elysia cf. tomentosa
    From: Nishina Masayoshi, March 23, 2002
  11. I think this is Elysia cf tomentosa
    From: Nishina Masayoshi, March 20, 2002
  12. Re: Elysia tomentosa from Heron Id (2)
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, December 10, 2001
  13. Elysia tomentosa from Heron Island (1)
    From: Julie Marshall, December 4, 2001
  14. Elysia tomentosa from Heron Id (2)
    From: Julie Marshall, December 4, 2001
  15. Re: Elysia cf. tomentosa. from Okinawa
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, December 1, 2001
  16. Elysia cf. tomentosa. from Okinawa
    From: Bob Bolland, November 29, 2001

Show factsheet and all related messages