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

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