Liloa brevis
(Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)
Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
Family: Haminoeidae
DISTRIBUTION
Southeastern Australia from New South Wales to South Australia.
PHOTO
Shelly Beach, Manly, Sydney, October 1984. PHOTO: Bill Rudman.
Similar in ecology to species of Haminoea this herbivore is often found in large numbers crawling over sand or mudflats feeding on algae or algal film.
In external body shape it looks rather like a species of Atys, with an elongate body and the parapodial flaps covering only the front of the shell. The radula and reproductive system, and the spiral groves on each end of the shell are also Atys-like, but the thin fragile shell and the shape of the gizzard plates are very similar to Haminoea.
Reference:
• Quoy, J.M.C. & Gaimard, J.P. (1833). Voyages de découvertes de l`Astrolabe pendant les annees 1826-1829 sous le commandement de M.J. Dumont d`Urville. Zoologie, 2: 1-686
Rudman, W.B., 1998 (December 18) Liloa brevis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/lilobrev
