Spurilla australis from Northern New South Wales

February 2, 2005
From: Denis Riek


Dear Bill,
Thanks for your reply on Spurilla major. I observed several examples of Spurilla australis this winter and all looked like the animal in the upper photo, all around 25-30mm. The larger animal (65mm) in the other photos is what I wrongly believed to be Spurilla major. At least I was correct when I said that I had seen Spurilla major in the river, I just didn't know what I was looking at. The variations in colour and pattern in some species makes it hard for us amateurs, Bill.

Locality: Brunswick River, nthn N.S.W. Australia. Depth: 3 metres. Length: 65 mm. 25 August 2004. on algae covered rocks on sea wall. Photographer: Denis Riek

Regards,
Denis

denisriek@hotmail.com

Riek, D.W., 2005 (Feb 2) Spurilla australis from Northern New South Wales. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12923

Dear Denis,
There's no shame in getting an identification wrong - I do it all the time. I think they deliberately make it difficult for us. The colour difference in this case is quite an interesting story, some of which is on the Fact Sheet. This is one of the species I have called solar-powered, because they can get much of their energy requirements from 'farming' microscopic plants in their tissues. The light coloured form ,in your upper photo, is an animal in which the plant population in its body is very sparse, while the dark brown version is an animal with many healthy plants [zooxanthellae].
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Feb 2). Comment on Spurilla australis from Northern New South Wales by Denis Riek. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12923

Factsheet

Spurilla australis

Related messages

  1. Re: Anemone capture by Spurilla major
    From: David Mullins, October 14, 2008
  2. Spurilla australis from Port Stephens
    From: Leanne & David Atkinson, October 8, 2007
  3. Spurilla australis from Lembeh Straits, Sulawesi
    From: Matt Oldfield, March 26, 2007
  4. Spurilla australis from Western
    From: Bruce Potter, January 19, 2007
  5. Spurilla australis from Victoria, Australia
    From: Trevor McMurrich, August 22, 2006
  6. Spurilla australis from Port Phillip Bay, Australia
    From: Perry Davis, June 22, 2006
  7. Spurilla australis from Western Australia
    From: Mark Gerlach, February 20, 2004
  8. Spurilla australis from Perth, Western Australia
    From: Masoud Abadi, October 18, 2003
  9. Nudibranch on Caulerpa taxifolia
    From: Tim Glasby, August 18, 2003
  10. Aeolidiopsis australis?
    From: Nishina Masayoshi, August 6, 2002
  11. Spurilla australis from Victoria
    From: Jane Breidahl, January 9, 1999
  12. Spurilla australis
    From: Bill Rudman, July 2, 1998

Show factsheet and all related messages