Re: Plocamopherus tilesii from West Australia

November 6, 2006
From: Samantha Haebich

Concerning message #17926:

Hi Bill,

Apologies for lack of info etc in my earlier message. I was quite lazy with my query largely as I expected you weren't replying any messages at the time and I'd failed to get a response to a previous query. Sorry to have assumed this, I do appreciate your response as I am sure many others value your expertise in this field.

I shall endeavour to improve the quality of my photos although surge was a problem. The location was Robbs Jetty, Fremantle (near Perth, Western Australia) which didn't seem to match the suggested distribution of other sightings. I do recollect it had a long tapering tail though the remainder of my photos (attached) don't capture this.

Keep up the good work and thanks again,
Sam

samhaebich@hotmail.com

Haebich, S.J., 2006 (Nov 6) Re: Plocamopherus tilesii from West Australia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/18199

Dear Samantha,
Thanks for the locality information. I realise it is not always easy to photograph these animals but from your comment about the long tapering tail I am pretty sure your animal is Plocamopherus ceylonicus which has a long slender tail like this, I presume for helping it to stay attached to the weedy bryozoans it lives and feeds on. All your photos show it on these sea-weed like bryozoan colonies. Since the colonies thrive in areas with a lot of wave action / water movement, animals living on them are in constant danger of beeing washed off. Another animal, quite unrelated, which has a similar long tail is the sea hare Stylocheilus longicauda.

Plocamopherus tilesii doesn't appear to have an elongate tail, in fact it seems to have a broader foot which may be associated with it living on softer sediments.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Nov 6). Comment on Re: Plocamopherus tilesii from West Australia by Samantha Haebich. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/18199

Factsheet

Plocamopherus ceylonicus

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