Polycera hedgpethi in Picton Harbour, New Zealand

December 13, 2006
From: Ashley Coutts

Dear Bill,

I have been using settlement plates in Picton Harbour, South Island, New Zealand for my PhD research and have discovered an unfamiliar nudibranch. I have some images of the species in question, but they are very poor quality because I have had to crop the image from larger images, so I'm hoping someone will recognise the species as being a common character.

Locality: Picton Harbour, Picton., 3 metres, South Island, New Zealand, Queen Charlotte Sound, 20 January 2005, Present grazing on Bugula flabellata on settlement plates beneath a wharf.. Length: Approximately 2-3 cm.. Photographer: Ashley Coutts.

Ashley Coutts

ashley.coutts@cawthron.org.nz

Coutts, A. D. M., 2006 (Dec 13) Polycera hedgpethi in Picton Harbour, New Zealand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/18983

Dear Ashley,
This is Polycera hedgpethi. As you will see from the Fact Sheet, and acssociated messages, this is what we call a 'tramp' species or 'hitchhiker', and it seems to have taken advantage of world shipping to travel to many parts of the world. It feeds on Bugula and we suspect it travels on the bottom of ships or yachts with hulls fouled with this bryozoan. Larvae in ballast water is of course another alternative. The great mystery is where its real home is.

It has been known from New Zealand for many years (see Miller, 2001) but as far as I know, these earlier records refer to northern New Zealand, around Auckland. I guess it is not surprising to find it in Queen Charlotte Sound, but it is certainly valuable to get a verifiable sighting, with photos, to add to our knowledge of this species. Good luck with your research and any other opisthobranch finds you make are very welcome on the Forum

  • Miller, M.C. (2001) Descriptions of the Dorid nudibranchs Polycera hedgpethi Marcus, 1964 and P. fujitai Baba, 1937 in New Zealand (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia). Journal of Molluscan Studies, 67: 489-497.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Dec 13). Comment on Polycera hedgpethi in Picton Harbour, New Zealand by Ashley Coutts. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/18983

Factsheet

Polycera hedgpethi

Related messages

  1. Polycera hedgpethi from California
    From: Phil Garner, November 3, 2008
  2. Polycera hedgpethi from Western Australia
    From: Brent Murdoch, April 1, 2008
  3. Polycera hedgpethi from Western Australia
    From: Bruce Potter, March 12, 2007
  4. Polycera hedgpethi? from Victoria, Australia
    From: Martin Hing, December 19, 2006
  5. Polycera hedgpethi from San Diego
    From: Mike Neubig, February 22, 2006
  6. Re: Polycera hedgpethi from the Mediterranean
    From: Mick Tait, October 8, 2005
  7. Polycera hedgpethi from the Mediterranean
    From: Egidio Trainito, October 7, 2005
  8. Polycera hedgpethi research
    From: Nerida Wilson, October 3, 2005
  9. Re: Is this Polycera hedgpethi?
    From: Mick Tait, September 30, 2005
  10. Is this Polycera hedgpethi?
    From: Chris Cunnold, September 27, 2005
  11. Polycera hedgpethi - Cockburn Sound, W. Australia
    From: Mick Tait, July 13, 2005
  12. Polycera hedgpethi from South Korea
    From: Dong Bum Koh, June 11, 2005
  13. Re: Polycera hedgpethi from NSW, Australia
    From: Juan Lucas Cervera, February 13, 2004
  14. Polycera hedgpethi from NSW, Australia
    From: Dave Harasti, February 11, 2004
  15. Polycera hedgpethi from French Mediterranean
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia, August 21, 2003
  16. Re: Polycera hedgpethi from Spain
    From: Juan Lucas Cervera, March 31, 2003
  17. Polycera hedgpethi from Japan.
    From: Jun Imamoto, August 6, 2002
  18. Re: Geographical range of Polycera hedgpethi
    From: Juan Lucas Cervera, October 5, 1999
  19. Polycera hedgpethi from New Zealand
    From: Ross & Diane Armstrong, July 24, 1999
  20. Talk about synchronicity!
    From: Ross & Diane Armstrong, July 24, 1999
  21. Polycera hedgpethi
    From: Betsey Hansen, July 23, 1999
  22. I found my first seaslug!
    From: Peter Firminger, July 23, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages