Aphelodoris in southeastern Australia

April 21, 2000
From: Bill Rudman

I have been promising for some time to say something about the Aphelodoris species assemblage in southeastern Australia. Prompted by Nerida Wilson's question about an animal from Tasmania I have prepared a series of pages on this group. It should be considered a 'work in progress' because our present understanding of the species is fairly superficial. Most species are considered to have very restricted geographic ranges but specimens I have of A. greeni greatly extend its range around Tasmania, and as Aphelodoris sp. 2, into Victoria as well. I have not looked at their internal anatomy or know about their mode of development so potentially it could be a group of non-overlapping endemic species. However it seems to me that this is a research project ripe for plucking.

I have prepared pages for:
•Aphelodoris berghii
•Aphelodoris greeni
•Aphelodoris rossquicki
•Aphelodoris sp. 2.

Pages already exist for
•Aphelodoris luctuosa
•Aphelodoris sp. 1
•Aphelodoris varia.

If any one has photos of Aphelodoris from South Australia, or of colour forms not represented as yet on the Forum, I would be happy to see them.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2000 (Apr 21) Aphelodoris in southeastern Australia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2302

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