Phyllodesmium serratum from Japan

February 10, 2004
From: Yukari Sato

Hello Dr.Rudman,
Here are some photos of Phyllodesmium serratum. I am very happy to have found it as it is a sea slug I have been wanting to see for a long time.

The upper right photo shpows it as I found it. I moved it to get the other photos of it crawling.

Date: 20 Jan 2004
Depth: 20m
Size: 12mm.
Location: Zushi(near Hayama), Sagami Bay, Japan

Best regards,
Yukari Sato

yuks@cg7.so-net.ne.jp

Sato, Y., 2004 (Feb 10) Phyllodesmium serratum from Japan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12152

Dear Yukari,
I am also happy to at least see photos of this species from Japan. The animal in yoru photo is very similar to ones I have photographed from Tasmania, Australia [see Fact Sheet]. I have included a close-up of part of your photo because it shows the ends of the cerata very clearly, and shows how species of Phyllodesmium lack a cnidosac. Since the soft-corals they feed on lack the appropriate nematocysts, there is no point in storing them at the tips of their cerata for defence.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Feb 10). Comment on Phyllodesmium serratum from Japan by Yukari Sato. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12152

Factsheet

Phyllodesmium serratum

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