Pleurobranchus hilli
(Hedley, 1894)

Order: NOTASPIDEA
Superfamily: PLEUROBRANCHOIDEA
Family: Pleurobranchidae

DISTRIBUTION

South eastern Australia from central New South Wales, to Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia.

PHOTO

Jervis Bay, 5 - 15 m, on sand. February 2002. Length - 'more than 30 cm'. Photos: Sue Newson

A large pleurobranch growing to more than 30 cm in length. Usually a deep purplish brown colour, but sometimes quite a pale brown. Not usually found intertidally, but not uncommon in sheltered bays where it is usually found on sandy bottoms, where it can partially bury itself in the sand. The mantle is covered in rounded and pointed papillae. The pointed papillae are sometimes quite large.

  • Hedley, C. (1894) On some naked Australian marine Mollusa, Part 1. Proceedings of the Linnean Society, NSW, 12(9): 126-128.
  • Thompson, T.E. (1970) Eastern Australian Pleurobranchomorpha (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia). Journal of Zoology, London, 160: 173-198.
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (April 13) Pleurobranchus hilli (Hedley, 1894). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/pleuhill

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