Re: Cowry? from Townsville, Queensland

August 29, 2007
From: Melanie Wood

Concerning message #20196:

Hi Bill,
I managed to obtain photos of my previous 'blob' in a much better state. As you suggested, I placed it in a tub of seawater and then photographed it.

It is Plocamopherus ceylonicus and the spheres surround the gills are four light-emitting globes.

Locality: Rowes Bay, Townsville, Low tide 0.27 metres, Queensland, 28 August 2007, Muddy intertidal. Length: 2 cm. Photographer: Melanie Wood.

Thank you to Richard Willan for recognising the species in its blob form and supplying me with the identification and accompanying information above.

Cheers
Mel

melanie.wood@jcu.edu.au

Wood, M.J., 2007 (Aug 29) Re: Cowry? from Townsville, Queensland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20584

Dear Mel,
Well that was a successful outcome. I am impressed at Richard's ability to identify your animal in blob form - hopefully he will volunteer his opinion on 'unidentifieds' in the future.

As you discovered, the best thing with 'blobs' is to get them into some water so they can crawl and show us their shape and colour. Did you take the animal back to an aquarium to see its light-show? It's not always easy to get them to luminesce but when they do there are often flashes of light from the sides of the body as well as the bulbs. Unfortunately the only times I have been able to witness it have been in the dark so I am not sure if the 'non-bulb' flashes are from the skin or from the small papillae scattered over the body. It's another research project for someone.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Aug 29). Comment on Re: Cowry? from Townsville, Queensland by Melanie Wood. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20584

Factsheet

Plocamopherus ceylonicus

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