Vayssierea felis from sthn Queensland

September 12, 2008
From: Gary Cobb


Concerning message #2306:

Hi Bill and everyone!
I wish to send to you photos of Vayssieria caledonica (Risbec, 1928). This species is very very common here on the Sunshine Coast. Under rocks at low tide. I have some interesting photos to share with you all. A microscope photo of the animal and it's egg mass. Also a photo of it mating. This animal never gets longer than 2.5 mm, upon my observations over the last 6 years. I have seen here at Alexandra Headland on one intertidal visit about 50 or more animals. Tube worm seem to be their favourite food source.

Locality: Alexandra Headland, Mooloolaba, 100 mm, Queensland, Australia, Pacific Ocean, 09 February 2008, Intertidal. Length: 1-2.5 mm. Photographer: Gary Cobb.

Gary Cobb

gary@nudibranch.com.au

Cobb, G.C., 2008 (Sep 12) Vayssierea felis from sthn Queensland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21380

Dear Gary,

Thanks for these photos. I think we should use the name Vayssierea felis. I don't think there is much logic in not using Collingwood's name because he did not describe the radula and then using Risbec's much later name when his description of the radula is so wrong it could be another species. This small red-orange species, with large direct-developing eggs, and which feeds exclusively on tube worms, such as Spirorbis, with a spiral calcareous shell, is found throughout the Indo-West Pacific. It is easy to see how it has such a wide distribution as it is often found on drifting bits of brown algae on which tube worms are often found.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Sep 12). Comment on Vayssierea felis from sthn Queensland by Gary Cobb. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21380

Factsheet

Vayssierea felis

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