Spurilla macleayi from Tasmania

February 9, 2004
From: Bill Rudman

To illustrate colour variation in Spurilla macleayi here is an example from southern Tasmania, Australia

PHOTOS: Tesselated Pavement, Pirates Bay, Tasman Peninsula, Sthn Tasmania, 15 February 1984. AM C141245 3 specimens together under rock at low tide. 10-22mm long alive. Photos: Bill Rudman

In this animal the dorsum is translucent clear with opaque bluish-white elongate patches. There is a prominent translucent orange mark over pericardium and a smaller orange mark in the following interceratal space. The rhinophores have opaque yellowish white markings on the upper third of their length and they are irregularly wrinkled.

The ceratal wall is transparent with the brown digestive gland showing through. At the tip, the translucent white cnidosac is clearly visible. The most distinctive epithelial marking on the cerata is a subterminal yellow ring, which is usually entire, but can be broken. Above this yellow ring are a few scattered opaque bluish white spots and below it, there are many more, some merging into larger white patches and in other cases forming one or more irregular broken rings of white. The radula is illustrated separately [see #12145].

Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Feb 9) Spurilla macleayi from Tasmania. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12134

Factsheet

Spurilla macleayi

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