Opisthobranchs from Durban, South Africa

March 13, 1999
From: Ernest Seamark

I have for the past 3 years been collecting and photographing Opisthobranchs from Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. At a site about 1km south of Durban Harbour mouth. I'm an education officer and the learners who I teach on the ecology of the rocky shore (inter-tidal zone)regularly pick up strange opisthobranchs, amongst other creatures.
I have collected about 55 different species of opisthobranchs, but have only been able to ID about 27, using Gosliner's key on the Nudibranchs of Southern Africa. I have found that his key is not conclusive as many of the specimens that I have are not found in the book. Using this web site I have just ID Pleurobranchus forskalii (Ruppell & Leuckart, 1828) or one that is very similar from Southern Africa and I believe this is a new distribution of this species.

This is a long message, but if you are intrested in material or I can try and digitize my slides using a camera and send them to you. The specimens are to be lodged with the Natal Museum (Dr Dai Herbert), I'm in the process of handing them in.

The email is a friends so I may take some time to answer normally about a week that is if I'm not in the field as my other study area are bats.

Ernest C.J. Seamark

kearneyt@biology.und.ac.za

Seamark, E.C.J., 1999 (Mar 13) Opisthobranchs from Durban, South Africa . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/674

Dear Ernest,
I am not sure if Pleurobranchus forskalii has been reported from South Africa before but MacNae (1962) reported the dark form from Inhaca Bay, Mozambique. Like the New South Wales coast of eastern Australia, the northeastern coast of South Africa must get a regular influx of more tropical species courtesy of the southward, if irregular movement of coastal currents.

If you have have photos of other species I would be happy to put them on the Forum. With the help of Terry Gosliner, I am sure we would be able to help you out and also provide information for other people interested in your fauna. If scanning is a problem, if you post the slides to me I can scan them here and return them to you.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 1999 (Mar 13). Comment on Opisthobranchs from Durban, South Africa by Ernest Seamark. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/674

Factsheet

Pleurobranchus forskalii

Related messages

  1. Pleurobranchus forskalii from Singapore
    From: Ron Yeo, March 28, 2008
  2. Pleurobranchus forskalii from Indonesia
    From: Mirjam Broos, February 15, 2007
  3. Swimming Pleurobranchus
    From: Mark Schaer, June 20, 2006
  4. A pleurobranch from Saipan
    From: Takao Urasawa, August 19, 2005
  5. Re: Mystery slug from Malaysia
    From: Jimmy Goh, May 10, 2005
  6. Large pleurobranch from Malaysia
    From: Alphonsus Jude Joseph, April 28, 2005
  7. Is this a sea slug?
    From: Dominic Rutherford, February 2, 2005
  8. Pleurobranchus forskalii from Lizard Is
    From: Nils Anthes, January 10, 2004
  9. Pleurobranchus forskalii from Sabah
    From: Asther M. Lau, July 23, 2003
  10. Pleurobranchus forskalii from South China Sea
    From: Audrey Koh, May 9, 2003
  11. Re: Mystery slug from Malaysia
    From: Michael Smith , March 27, 2003
  12. Mystery slug from Malaysia
    From: Michael Smith, March 26, 2003
  13. Pleurobranchus forskalii from Lord Howe Island
    From: W.B. Rudman, January 28, 2003
  14. Pleurobranchus forskalii from Solomons
    From: Bruce Potter, July 14, 2002
  15. Pleurobranchus forskalii from South Africa
    From: Valda Fraser, January 3, 2001
  16. Pleurobranchus synonyms in South Africa
    From: Ernest C.J. Seamark, June 17, 2000
  17. Spanish Dancer with white eggs?
    From: Jan Reyniers, April 6, 2000
  18. Re: Notaspidean defensive secretions
    From: Bill Rudman, May 14, 1999
  19. Pleurobranch acid secretions
    From: Rhanor Gillette, May 6, 1999
  20. Skin secretions in Pleurobranchus forskalii
    From: Clay Bryce, April 30, 1999
  21. Pleurobranchus forskalii, P. peroni
    From: K. Koyanagi, April 29, 1999
  22. Pleurobranchus forskalii in South Africa
    From: Ernest C.J. Seamark, April 17, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages