Oxynoe sp. from Heron Island

August 6, 2000
From: Julie Marshall


Dear Bill,

Attached are two photos of an Oxynoe species found in November 1999 on Caulerpa at the reef crest on the north side of Heron Island [Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia] under a dead coral slab. It was 14 mm in size and had a brownish green mantle with a speckling of brown dots which show through the transparent shell. The parapodia have numerous fine green papillae and there is a line of black dots on the edges of the parapodial borders. There are also green patches on the head and rhinophores and on the lower parts of the parapodia. This animal lacked the long tail of the usual Oxynoe but the short tail could have been newly regenerated.

Best wishes,

Julie Marshall

j.marshall@latrobe.edu.au

Marshall, J., 2000 (Aug 6) Oxynoe sp. from Heron Island. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2820

Thanks Julie,
The papillate parapodia and the short 'tail' are certainly unusual. It certainly looks like it is regrowing from a stump, and Oxynoe viridis can break off its 'tail' [see autotomy page].

It will be interesting to hear what our sacoglossan experts think about its identity.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Factsheet

Oxynoe sp. 3

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