Dolabrifera brazieri with opaline gland secretions

September 14, 2005
From: Sascha Schulz


Dear Bill,

I found these at Wollongong, NSW, eastern Australia in July 2005  I guess they are the same species. The upper one is from 2 m at Bass Point, and the lower one from a rockpool . It emitted the white cloud after being touched.

Sascha Schulz

ss31@dodo.com.au

Schulz, S., 2005 (Sep 14) Dolabrifera brazieri with opaline gland secretions. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14761

Dear Sascha,
These are Dolabrifera brazieri, a large species of Dolabrifera which appaers to be endemic to southeastern Australia and northern New Zealand. I am a bit hesitant to say much about the white milkly secretion in your photo. As I discuss on a Fact Sheet, sea hares produce a variety of secretions from glands in their mantle cavity.   This spectacular milky white secretion is from the opaline gland. Its function is unknown.   
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Sep 14). Comment on Dolabrifera brazieri with opaline gland secretions by Sascha Schulz. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14761

Factsheet

Dolabrifera brazieri

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