Doriopsilla peculiaris
(Abraham, 1877)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Dendrodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from southern Australia (Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia).

PHOTO

Fly Point, Nelson Bay, NSW Australia. Photo: David Harasti

Reference:
• Abraham, P.S. (1877). Revision of the Anthobranchiate nudibranchiate mollusca, with descriptions or notices of forty-one hitherto undescribed species. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1877: 196-269

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1998 (January 27) Doriopsilla peculiaris (Abraham, 1877). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/doripecu

Related messages


Re: Doriopsilla peculiaris from Nelson Bay [2]

January 30, 2009
From: Leanne and David Atkinson


Continuing on from message #22176:

Dear Bill,
Here are the second set of photos showing Doriopsilla peculiaris mating.  The white one's reproductive organ is clearly seen still everted in the last shot.

Locality: The Pipeline, Nelson Bay, Port Stephens, 8 metres, New South Wales, Australia, Pacific Ocean, 19 January 2009, Silty sandy bottom with scattered sponges, ascidians, gorgonias and seaweed. Length: 100 mm. Photographer: Leanne and David Atkinson.

Regards,
Leanne & David Atkinson

atk@hunterlink.net.au

Atkinson, L. & D., 2009 (Jan 30) Re: Doriopsilla peculiaris from Nelson Bay [2]. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22177

Re: Doriopsilla peculiaris from Nelson Bay [1]

January 30, 2009
From: Leanne and David Atkinson


Concerning message #9243:

Dear Bill,
We have come across a few Doriopsilla peculiaris during day dives recently at The Pipeline. We usually only see them on night dives. They have varied in colour from white through to orange. We found both of these orange and white Doriopsilla within a metre of each other and both doing the head up seeking behaviour.

We moved the orange one next to the white one head on and right side to right side. They did not hesitate but slid into mating position straight away. Mated and then moved away. The white one's reproductive organ is clearly seen still everted in the last shot. The whole process is shown best in more than three pictures so we will send it in two messages [see message #22177  for the rest].

Locality: The Pipeline, Nelson Bay, Port Stephens, 8 metres, New South Wales, Australia, Pacific Ocean, 19 January 2009, Silty sandy bottom with scattered sponges, ascidians, gorgonias and seaweed. Length: approximately 100 mm. Photographer: Leanne and David Atkinson.

Hope this is of interest.

Regards,
Leanne & David Atkinson

atk@hunterlink.net.au

Atkinson, L. & D., 2009 (Jan 30) Re: Doriopsilla peculiaris from Nelson Bay [1]. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22176

Thanks Leanne and David,

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Jan 30). Comment on Re: Doriopsilla peculiaris from Nelson Bay [1] by Leanne and David Atkinson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22176

Doriopsilla peculiaris from Nelson Bay

March 14, 2003
From: Dave Harasti

Hi Bill,
Here are a couple of images that were all taken at night at Fly Point, Nelson Bay, NSW Australia.

I think they are all colour variations of Doriopsilla peculiaris. The unusual thing with this animal is that I have never seen one during the day but when ever I do a night dive at Fly Point they appear to be common! Definitely a nocturnal species in my view.
Regards,
Dave Harasti

diving@webone.com.au

Harasti, D., 2003 (Mar 14) Doriopsilla peculiaris from Nelson Bay. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9243

Dear David,
Thsi certainly looks like the animal we are calling Doriopsilla peculiaris, but the one major problem is deciding whether we can really identify anything from Abraham's original description of a preserved sepcimen in the British Museum.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Mar 14). Comment on Doriopsilla peculiaris from Nelson Bay by Dave Harasti. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9243

Doriopsilla peculiaris

October 19, 1998
From: David & Leanne Atkinson

Thanks for the Doriopsilla peculiaris ID. It's hard to believe that such different looking beasts could be the same animal. Maybe I should send you a specimen sometime (if I find one again) ?

We haven't been in the water lately, but hope to remedy that soon. We "drowned" one of our macro cameras. An expensive exercise.

David & Leanne Atkinson

atkin@hunterlink.net.au

Atkinson, D. & L., 1998 (Oct 19) Doriopsilla peculiaris . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/271

Dear David & Leanne,

My sympathies with your "drowned" camera gear. Concerning the Doriopsilla peculiaris identifications. I am not 100% sure and certainly would like to see a range of specimens if you come across them. ... Bill Rudman

Discodoris ? from Port Stephens

October 15, 1998
From: David Atkinson

16 September 1998

Hi,
    
I am having trouble differentiating "discodorids ??". I have pictures of 3
(attached)which seem different. I can't work it out from the reference books at my disposal.
All these specimens were photographed at Pt Stephens, New South Wales, over the years. The top one was taken on the 6 Sept 1998 at the Fishermans Co Op site in 5M of water.
    
David Atkinson

atkin@hunterlink.net.au

Atkinson, D., 1998 (Oct 15) Discodoris ? from Port Stephens. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/265

Dear David,
Another slow reply I'm afraid. I think these are all colour forms of the animal I identified for you earlier as the southern dorid Doriopsilla peculiaris.

I'm afraid some of these dorids are difficult to identify just from photos, especially when we are not sure of their geographic ranges at present. .... Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 1998 (Oct 15). Comment on Discodoris ? from Port Stephens by David Atkinson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/265

Doriopsilla from Nelson Bay

January 27, 1998
From: David & Leanne Atkinson

This is from Nelson Bay, Port Stephens, New South Wales, off shore from the Fisherman's Co-op. 5 April 1997.
Thanks,
David & Leanne Atkinson.

atkin@hunterlink.net.au

Atkinson, D. & L., 1998 (Jan 27) Doriopsilla from Nelson Bay. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/161

It is difficult to identify some animals with certainty from colour photos. This looks to be Doriopsilla peculiaris but if so, it is far outside its usual haunts. Doriopsilla peculiaris is a southern Australian species occurring from Cape Naturaliste in Western Australia to Wilson's Promontory in Victoria. If I have correctly identified it, it's the first time it has been recorded so far up the east coast. Another southern species, Doriopsilla carneola is known from northern New South Wales, but it doesn't have the smudged white patches you can see in the photo.... Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 1998 (Jan 27). Comment on Doriopsilla from Nelson Bay by David & Leanne Atkinson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/161