Juvenile Bulla from Sulawesi

June 7, 2001
From: Lindsay Warren

Dear Bill
I wonder whether you could point me in the right direction for the ID of this Bulla found by Guillermo Moreno in July 1999 at a depth of 18 m on filamentous algae growing on the mooring line of a rompong (fish-attracting device) in deep water in the Tukang Besi Archipelago, SE Sulawesi [Operation Wallacea]. On looking at it again (photo) it makes me think of Bulla ampulla but this substrate seems rather unlikely as the adults we have found have always been on/in sand in shallow algae and seagrass beds of the area. Size: 9 mm.
All the best
Lindsay

alldcl@compuserve.com

Warren, L., 2001 (Jun 7) Juvenile Bulla from Sulawesi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4449

Dear Lindsay,
I suspect it is Bulla ampulla. When these bubble shells are juvenile their shells are proportionally much lighter and so the animal is much more able to carry the weight vertically. Also being much lighter overall they are much more able to crawl around and in growths of filamentous algae without collapsing the algae.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Jun 7). Comment on Juvenile Bulla from Sulawesi by Lindsay Warren . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4449

Factsheet

Bulla ampulla

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