Austraeolis ornata from Port Stephens, eastern Australia

April 11, 2008
From: Leanne & David Atkinson

Dear Bill,
We found what we think is an Austraeolis ornata at Fly Point in 8 meters on a piece of kelp. These photos show the scattered iridescent bluish white specks, the yellow band and half band of turquoise on the cerata that you mention on the fact sheet. It also shows the ridges on the rhinophores. We thought they might be of interest to you since you didn't have many photos of Austraeolis ornata and they seem to vary greatly in colour. We thought these might illustrate one of the colour forms well for you and you could confirm the identity for us. Thank you as always for the wonderful work that you do on the forum..

Locality: Fly Point Marine Sanctuary, Port Stephens, 8 meters, New South Wales, Australia, Pacific, 6 October 2007, Sandy bottom, Kelp, algae, scattered sponges and winter slime. Length: 30mm approximately. Photographer: Leanne & David Atkinson.

Best wishes,
Leanne & David Atkinson

atk@hunterlink.net.au

Atkinson, L. & D., 2008 (Apr 11) Austraeolis ornata from Port Stephens, eastern Australia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20928

Dear Leanne & David,
Thanks for these nice photos of Austraeolis ornata. It's really what you could call a 'surprise package'. With the naked eye it just looks like a dull brownish aeolid crawling along but shine a bright light on it or magnify it with a camera or a binocular microscope and it comes to life with brilliant blue and opalescent white speckles on the body and foot, and the orange and yellow markings on the cerata.

Brown algae, such as kelp, may seem a strange place for hydroid eaters to be found but as I am sure you are aware their flat surfaces make them an ideal place for hydroids to thrive. In your photos you can see the little thread like lines running across the kelp. These are the root-like tubes of tissue which link the hydroid stalks together.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Apr 11). Comment on Austraeolis ornata from Port Stephens, eastern Australia by Leanne & David Atkinson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20928

Factsheet

Austraeolis ornata

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