Re: Cuthona? from Japan

March 8, 2006
From: Denis Riek

Concerning message #15986:

Dear Bill,
Here are some shots of what looks very similar to Sayoko Matsuda's Cuthona sp. It was found in the Brunswick River in May 2005. Gary Cobb's site shows also shows this animal from Alexander Headland, Queensland, found intertidally.

Locality: Brunswick River., 2 metres, Northern New South Wales,Australia, Pacific, 01 May 2005, Under rock on rock wall, high tide. Length: 6 mm. Photographer: Denis Riek.

Regards
Denis

dwriek@optusnet.com.au

Riek, D.W., 2006 (Mar 8) Re: Cuthona? from Japan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16057

Dear Denis,
It certainly does look the same. I think I have said before that these small cuthonids pose a particular problem with identficiation, because many of them seem to take advantage of shipping to travel the world. I suspect there are a few examples of the same species being described as a different species in different parts of the world. One problem is that often spcies are named on the basis if a very specimens so we dont have a good idea of variation within a single population. Cuthona sp. 8 is a god example. is it a widespread Indo-West Pacific species, was it originally a NW Pacific species, was it an Australian species? or perhaps its an Atlantic species originally?

I guess at this stage we will need to have a look at all the published descriptions and see if we can find something that fits.
Very interesting,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Mar 8). Comment on Re: Cuthona? from Japan by Denis Riek. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16057

Factsheet

Cuthona sp. 8

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