Plocamopherus tilesii from Queensland

November 12, 2002
From: Nigel Holmes


Bill
Recently my wife Jacquie found a Plocamopherus tilesii in the reef flat shallows of North Keppel Island on a rising tide.
My photos using a 2:1 macro framer are attached. The P. tilesii was very reluctant to cling on to anything and was intent on slowly swimming well above the bottom using its large flat tail [lower photo]. The broad flat head [upper photo] seems to be used for altitude control, it being tipped back at 45 degrees until it reached about 0.5m above the bottom when it settled into a flatter posture and continued swimming.

Regards
Nigel Holmes
Rockhampton, Queensland.

holmesnjc@optusnet.com.au

Holmes, N., 2002 (Nov 12) Plocamopherus tilesii from Queensland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8375

Dear Nigel,
Thanks for these photos. This grows into quite a large animal but we know very little about its biology. Bill Chambers' message reporting it to be a burrower, suggests it may be another of these soft-bottom dwelling nudibranchs with an enlarged oral veil, or its equivalent, which can be used to sense food in the sediment. Other related species are bryozoan feeders but I have no idea what this one feeds on.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Factsheet

Plocamopherus tilesii

Related messages

  1. Plocamopherus tilesi or tilesii
    From: Wayne Ellis, July 5, 1999
  2. Plocamopherus tilesii from Port Stephens, NSW
    From: Grey McNeil, June 29, 1999
  3. Nudi burying itself
    From: Bill Chambers, February 2, 1998

Show factsheet and all related messages