Unknown Thordisa? - from Fremantle, West Australia

August 11, 2007
From: Brent Murdoch

Dear Bill
There were a lot of these around in January, and a few in February. I have not been able to find anything similar.

Locality: Fremantle, Swan River, 3-8 m, Western Australia, Indian, 15 January 2007, Muddy. Length: 45 mm. Photographer: Brent Murdoch.

It seems to be either rare or new?

Thanks,
Brent Murdoch

brent@murdoch.id.au

Murdoch, B.D., 2007 (Aug 11) Unknown Thordisa? - from Fremantle, West Australia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19500

Dear Brent,
There is always the possibility that this is a species whch arrived in ballast water, but then again it could just be an example of the the vagaries of the currents carrying larvae up and down the west Australian coastline.

I don't recognise this species but it has the look of a species of Thordisa Perhaps Jamie Chan or Terry Gosliner who have recently published on this genus can give us some clues.

  • Chan, J. M. & Gosliner, T.M. (2007) Preliminary Phylogeny of Thordisa (Nudibranchia: Discodorididae) with descriptions of five new species. The Veliger, 48: 284-308. 

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Aug 11). Comment on Unknown Thordisa? - from Fremantle, West Australia by Brent Murdoch. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19500

Factsheet

Unidentified - Australia and New Zealand

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