Re: Tylodina fungina

June 5, 2006
From: Kevin Lee

Concerning message #16755:

Thanks for your last message and comments, Doc...
Yes, when my buddy and I spotted the three-incher, we both had to rub our eyes and blink twice. The T. fungina seemed gargantuan, compared to the much smaller specimens, we normally see in local waters. As a rough gauge, I took off my dive glove & placed my index finger next to the slug, confirming that it easily measured 3 inches. It was strange to see the animal crawling on the pebbly bottom, until we looked up, and saw that it had most likely fallen from the copious growth of yellow sponge, growing on the archway ceiling of the large swim-thru we were in. In other words, it was quite well-nourished. BTW, I now dive more frequently, with a stainless steel rule, to more accurately document these events.
K:-)

diverkevin@gmail.com

Kevin Lee, 2006 (Jun 5) Re: Tylodina fungina. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16762

Dear Kevin,
Thanks for that. It's an interesting observation. It is a similar story with our local southern Australian Tylodina, T. corticalis, which is usually about 15-20 mm in length but every now and then a monster appears.  I am posting some messages on that species today [see #16799, #16801, #16800] to show of the size and shell-shape varability in that species.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Jun 5). Comment on Re: Tylodina fungina by Kevin Lee. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16762

Factsheet

Tylodina fungina

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