Polycera hedgpethi - Cockburn Sound, W. Australia

July 13, 2005
From: Mick Tait

I have recently been shore diving the Bell Beach "Wreck Trail" located off Rockingham WA.

Locality:  Bell Beach, Rockingham, Western Australia, Cockburn Sound.
Depth: 12 m. Length: varies 10 mm - 50 mm. 02 July 2005. Sandy bottom and along guide ropes. Photographer: Mick Tait

I have been specifically searching out and photographing Nudibranchs. It has become apparent that Polycera hedgpethi is one of the more common at this dive site. I would be interested to hear from others who may have encountered this species in Cockburn Sound.

Mick Tait

mick@bluesphere.com.au

Tait, M, 2005 (Jul 13) Polycera hedgpethi - Cockburn Sound, W. Australia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14235

Dear Mick,
Thanks for the record. It is not surprising it is found in an area like Cockburn Sound with its large port establishments. Polycera hedgpethi which has a worldwide distribution which is attributed to its feeding on the common fouling bryozoan Bugula, which has been spread around the world by shipping. It would be interesting to know if the population in Cockburn Sound is permanent. Usually it seems to appear in large numbers at a particular place and then disappears. It may not return to that particular spot for years.  Like many of these 'tramp' species it is highly dependent on the presence of its food, which itself lives a precarious existence.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Jul 13). Comment on Polycera hedgpethi - Cockburn Sound, W. Australia by Mick Tait. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14235

Factsheet

Polycera hedgpethi

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