The real Stylocheilus longicauda from Rarotonga

May 24, 2006
From: Graham McDonald

Kia orana Bill, greetings from Rarotonga.
I am going through photos that I have taken over the last 10 years to add to the Cook Islands biodiversity database. I cannot find any reference to this slug that lived with several others on a mooring line at one of our divesites.

Locality: Ngatangiia, 2 to 5metres, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, South Pacific, 02 Nvember 2003, Mooring line. Length: 10 mm. Photographer: Graham McDonald.

Regards,
Graham

images@waterworx.co.ck

McDonald, G, 2006 (May 24) The real Stylocheilus longicauda from Rarotonga. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16679

Dear Graham,
This is an interesting find. It is a small Sea Hare which seems to live on floating algae throughout the Indo-West Pacific. I guess a mooring line is a similar habitat. It had a complicated nomenclatural history which I have discussed on a separate Fact Sheet. Its name is Stylocheilus longicauda and the name longicauda [=long tail] refers to the long slender, almost ribbon-like, posterior tip of its foot which from my experience allows it to remain attached to its algal 'home' even in strong currents. Unfortunately the name Stylocheilus longicauda began to be used for the more common Stylocheilus striatus, mainly because most people thought there was only one species of Stylocheilus, and Stylocheilus longicauda was the oldest name. So its good to get another record of the 'true' Stylocheilus longicauda just to reinforce its difference from the common S. striatus.

If you have photos of other opisthobranchs from Rarotonga, even ones you can easily identify, I would welcome them on the Forum as we have few records of any opisthobranchs from that part of the Pacific

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (May 24). Comment on The real Stylocheilus longicauda from Rarotonga by Graham McDonald. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16679

Factsheet

Stylocheilus longicauda

Related messages

  1. Re: Stylocheilus longicauda and eggs [2]
    From: Denis Riek, November 19, 2009
  2. Re: Stylocheilus longicauda and eggs [1]
    From: Denis Riek, November 19, 2009
  3. Re: The real Stylocheilus longicauda from eastern Atlantic
    From: Denis Riek, August 26, 2009
  4. The real Stylocheilus longicauda from eastern Atlantic
    From: Peter Wirtz, August 20, 2009
  5. Sea hares on floating pumice
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, December 30, 2006
  6. Stylocheilus longicauda and eggs(?)
    From: Mike Greenemeier, June 16, 2005
  7. Stylocheilus longicauda from India
    From: Barbara Gibson , October 3, 2002
  8. Stylocheilus longicauda from Hawaii
    From: Erwin Koehler, August 10, 1999
  9. True Stylocheilus longicauda from Caribbean
    From: Betsey Hansen, August 6, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages