Very large Tylodina corticalis from SE Australia

June 5, 2006
From: Bill Rudman


Following on from my comments to Kevin Lees's message [#16762] on the large size of his Tylodina fungina, here is a record of a very large animal of Tylodina corticalis, as species from temperate Australian waters, which normally is found growing up to 50 mm long, but its is usually a bit smaller than that. The upper photo is of a huge specimen, about 120 mm long, from Jervis Bay, in southern New South Wales. It is not fully extended in this photo but had the same body shape as the lower animal.

Upper Photo:  off Bowen Island, Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Depth: approx 20 ft. coll J. Lowry, H. Stoddard, 3 June, 1981. Shell 55 mm long - at least 1cm of that is soft uncalcified growth. Animal appproz 120 mm long alive. AM C130163. Photo: Bill Rudman.

Lower Photo:  Nthn side of Split Solitary Island, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. 15 m. 14 March 1988. shell 28 mm long, animal 50 mm long alive. On its food sponge Pseudoceratina sp. (Order Verongida, Family Aplysinellidae). AM C155732. Photo: Bill Rudman.

As I have mentioned before, small whitish glands all over the body produce a milky yellow mucus secretion. The animal can also can produce a deep blue secretion when disturbed - source uknown
 

Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Jun 5) Very large Tylodina corticalis from SE Australia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16801

Factsheet

Tylodina corticalis

Related messages

  1. Tylodina corticalis on food source
    From: Gary Cobb, February 8, 2008
  2. Tylodina corticalis - shell variability
    From: Bill Rudman, June 5, 2006
  3. Tylodina corticalis - feeding juvenile
    From: Bill Rudman, June 5, 2006
  4. Tylodina corticalis from New South Wales
    From: Leanne & David Atkinson, August 14, 2003
  5. Tylodina corticalis from sthn Queensland
    From: Gary Cobb, August 5, 2003
  6. Tylodina corticalis from Lord Howe Island
    From: W.B. Rudman, January 21, 2003
  7. Tylodina corticalis from New South Wales
    From: Erik Schloegl, April 4, 2001

Show factsheet and all related messages