Aldisa from South Africa

January 5, 2002
From: Valda Fraser


Dear Bill
A friend found this amazing animal. Your input will be appreciated because I'm 100% clueless! Thanks.

Locality: Park Rynie, south coast KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 32 m
Date: December 2001
Size: 18 mm

Regards
Valda Fraser

valdafraser@mweb.co.za

Fraser, V., 2002 (Jan 5) Aldisa from South Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5887

Dear Valda,
This is indeed an amazing animal. I am pretty sure it is a species of the genus Aldisa. Species of Aldisa tend to be very good at camouflaging themselves to look like sponges. As in your animal they often have two or three marks or actual pits in the midline to mimic the exhalant pores [oscules] of the sponge colonies. Your animal has certainly developed the imitation pores to a greater degree than I can recall in any other species.

I think it is an unnamed species but Sandra Millen or Terry Gosliner may recognise it.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Jan 5). Comment on Aldisa from South Africa by Valda Fraser. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5887

Factsheet

Aldisa sp. 4

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