Polycera capensis
Quoy & Gaimard, 1824

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Polycerinae

DISTRIBUTION

Originally described from South Africa but commonly reported from Sydney to Port Stephens in central New South Wales in eastern Australia. Apparently introduced artificially, perhaps on bryozoans fouling the bottom of ships.

PHOTO

Two-Fold Bay, central New South Wales, March 1986. PHOTO: Bill Rudman.

RELATED TOPIC

Thecacera pennigera

Body elongated, smooth, bearing conspicuous papillae on either side of the gills, and six issuing from the frontal margin of the head. The ground colour pure white. There are yellow lines along the sides of the dorsum and down the centre of the dorsal metapodium; the tubercles are all yellow coloured. Black longitudinal lines ocurred in the centre of the back as well as along the flanks. In addition there are often small black spots within yellow areas or lines, and vice versa. The dark grey rhinophores each bear oblique lamellae. Each rhinophore is tipped with white; raised pallial sheaths not present. The gills are dark grey in colour, tipped with vivid yellow. They are eight to ten in number and bear short insignificant oral tentacular lobes. The propodial border is produced anterolaterally into short but distinct yellow tipped tentacles.

References:
• Macnae, W. (1958). Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 35(4): 352-4.
• Pruvot-Fol, A. (1934). Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris (6) 11: 75-82.
• Quoy, J.R.C. & Gaimard, J.P. (1824). In Freycinet, Louis de. Voyage autor du monde executé sur les corvettes de S.M. l'Uranie et la Physicienne pendant les années 1817-1820. Zool., pt. 2, Paris, Chapter 11, Description des Mollusques: 410-516, pls 66-72, 75, 87.
• Thompson, T.E. (1975) Journal of Zoology, London 176: 507-8.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1998 (October 8) Polycera capensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1824. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/polycape

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