Nudibranchs - Sunshine Coast etc. / 3336d All photos copyright ©2003-2018 Gary Cobb 27/12/05 Gary Cobb 0416 048 100 gary@nudibranch.com.au |
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Ardeadoris averni (Rudman, 1985) |
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Location: Old Woman Is north reef, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland Australia Size: 70 mm Depth: 7 m Temperature: 24 C |
ORDER: NUDIBRANCHIA white orange |
Photographs by Gary Cobb - Copyright 2003-2018
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Below: These two animals were found at Northwest Reef Old Woman Island. The two were trailing each other. One has peppering on the mantle. Both have a brown foot margin!
Richard Willan says: "I take this discovery to indicate Ardeadoris averni and Goniobranchus rufomaculatus are evolving to resemble each other on the Sunshine Coast: A. averni can possess some speckling (whereas it is normally all white elsewhere in eastern Australia). Goniobranchus rufomaculatus can lose all its dorsal speckling (whereas it is normally extensively speckled elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific)."
Species differences.
The main difference between A. avarni and A. aff. averni is that the edge of the foot is
white as in A. aff. averni and orange in A. averni. See below.
Note orange foot margin