Spurilla australis from Western Australia

February 20, 2004
From: Mark Gerlach

Hi Bill,
I photographed this seaslug in the Swan River, near Rocky Bay, [Perth Western Australia]. Is it Spurilla australis? It looks darker then pictures I have seen.

Depth was about 3m
Sandy bottom with brown seaweed.
Slug lengh 20mm.

Cheers,
Mark.

silverthorne@bigpond.com

Gerlach, M., 2004 (Feb 20) Spurilla australis from Western Australia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12250

Dear Mark,
Yes this is Spurilla australis. Much of the brown colouration comes from the zooxanthellae in their bodies which I discuss in the species Fact Sheet. The darker brown the zooxathellae, and the greater their concnetration, the darker the background colour of the slug
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Feb 20). Comment on Spurilla australis from Western Australia by Mark Gerlach. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12250

Factsheet

Spurilla australis

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