Seaslug from Greece

October 9, 2007
From: Chris Heerema


Hi,

Last week I was on holiday with my family to the Greek island of Keffalonia. One day we went to a small village (Fiskardo) on the northern tip of the island. When we were walking across the shore line, I spotted this seaslug in the water. My little brother was eager to pick it up but I told him not to, knowing some of these slugs are poisonous. We did took a picture of it, and now I'm rather curious what species it is? It's in the centre of the picture I added, it is overall black, with some yellow spots/stripes running across it's back and it has a yellow edge.

Locality: Kefalonia, Fiskardo, ~0.5 metres, Greece, mediterranean, Ionian Sea, 29th of September 2007. Length: ~15 cm? (unsure about this one). Photographer: Chris Heerema

I would appreciate it if you could help me identify this creature.

Greetings,
Chris Heerema

chrisheerema49@hotmail.com

Heerema, C., 2007 (Oct 9) Seaslug from Greece. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20907

Dear Chris,

This is Hypselodoris picta. If you look at the species Fact Sheet and the messages attached to it you will see that this species is quite variable in colour and is found on both sides of the Atlantic. Although many nudibranchs have glands in their skin in which they store poisonous chemicals, they are there to protect the animal from being eaten, so while I wouldn't put one in my mouth, they are ok to pick up and look at unless you have very sensitive skin.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Oct 9). Comment on Seaslug from Greece by Chris Heerema. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20907

Factsheet

Hypselodoris picta

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