Paliolla cooki from Victoria, Australia.

May 1, 2003
From: John Chuk

Dear Bill,
Here are three images of Paliolla cooki specimens photographed at Flinders Pier, Victoria, Australia on 19 November 2002. The specimens were found on the underside of a rusting piece of iron on the bottom beneath the pier at a depth of 4m. The largest specimen was 10mm in length.

The upper image is of two specimens attempting to mate. The lower left shows the same two specimens parting company. The specimen on the left crawled away and the one on the right remained stationary. Further shots were taken of the specimen on the right and when I looked at the slides I noticed that a portion of an egg ribbon was visible beneath the specimen. The lower right image is an enlarged view of the eggs.
Best wishes,
John.

jchuk@giant.net.au

Chuk, J., 2003 (May 1) Paliolla cooki from Victoria, Australia.. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9680

Thanks John,
The size of the eggs suggest this speies has direct development - that is a free-swimming larval stage is absent, small crawling slugs hatching directly from the eggs. In the lower left photo you can see how well amouflaged this species can be on its bryozoan food. When I first looked at this photo I thought the posterior half of the left animal was part of a bryozoan colony that the right animal was feeding on.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (May 1). Comment on Paliolla cooki from Victoria, Australia. by John Chuk. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9680

Factsheet

Paliolla cooki

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