Aplysia extraordinaria? from New Zealand

August 18, 2001
From: Wade Doak


Dear Bill

Has Aplysia extraordinaria been recorded from New Zealand?

By the process of elimination [its huge size] I think this must be the one turning up at the Poor Knights sporadically over the years. I attach some old shots. The second one shows it is quite a handful. I am sure kiwi viewers would have more recent shots.

Wade Doak

wade@aotea.co.nz

Doak, W., 2001 (Aug 18) Aplysia extraordinaria? from New Zealand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5102

Thanks Wade,
Yes A. extraordinaria is recorded in Spencer & Willan (1996) from northern New Zealand, and your photos certainly confirm the record. I presume you have seen it swimming? If someone has some photos of this animal from New Zealand, preferably with some locality data, it would be an interesting record to include on the Forum.

Reference:
• Spence, H.G. & Willan, R.C. (1996) The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: Index to the Fauna 3. Mollusca. New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Memoir, 105 (for 1995): [Opisthobranchs on pp 32-37]

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Aug 18). Comment on Aplysia extraordinaria? from New Zealand by Wade Doak . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5102

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