Melibe australis - another colour variant

March 2, 2003
From: Bill Rudman


Here is another colour variant of Melibe australis.

Photo: Arrawarra, northern New South Wales, Australia under rocks at extreme low tide, 3 November 1982. 23mm long alive. AM C136167. Photos: Bill Rudman.

This is a translucent brown specimen with opaque white spots. The ramifications of the digestive gland are visible in the bottom half of cerata. The stalked cerata have theh chracteristic 'top'-like shape, with papillae restricted to the dorsal side. The cerata are easily autotomised. A large dorsal blood vessel can be seen in living animals running down the dorsal midline with branches to all the dorsal gills.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Mar 2) Melibe australis - another colour variant. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9312

Factsheet

Melibe australis

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