Phyllodesmium magnum juveniles

April 3, 2008
From: Gary Cobb


Concerning message #20948:

Hi Bill and everyone!
I would also like to contribute to the Forum photos of Phyllodesmium magnum juveniles and an egg laying photo close-up. The egg ribbon is not your average ribbon. The juveniles tend to be white and some have blue.

Locality: Old Woman Island, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, 9-15 m, Queensland, Australia, Pacific Ocean, 17 October 2007, Subtidal. Length: 15-30 mm. Photographer: Gary Cobb.

Cheers
Gary Cobb

gary@nudibranch.com.au

Cobb, G.C., 2008 (Apr 3) Phyllodesmium magnum juveniles. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20978

Thanks Gary,

These are very interesting observations. The egg ribbon is definitely unusual. I have seen a similar shaped ribbon before but my memory is not good enough to say whether it was  a photo or a drawing or a 'live' specimen. It certainly would be good to know who else lays a ribbon like this.

Concerning the juveniles. I would be interested to know what makes you think they are juveniles of P. magnum and not another species. For example, have you seen a series of them of varying sizes? To identify species of this genus we use a variety of characters visible externally such as the position of the anus, the arrangement of the cerata, and colour pattern. The branching of the digestive gland in the cerata, and sometimes in the body wall is also important, as is the shape of the radular teeth. If these are juveniles of P. magnum - and from what I can see in your photos they could well - then I will need to be careful when I try to identify some of the non-descript whitish animals that are sent to the Forum.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Apr 3). Comment on Phyllodesmium magnum juveniles by Gary Cobb. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20978

Factsheet

Phyllodesmium magnum

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