Baeolidia australis (Rudman, 1982)

(Fig. 8 B)

Spurilla australis Rudman, 1982, 164, Figs. 12–16.

Berghia australis (Rudman, 1982): Gosliner 1985, 261. Baeolidia australis (Rudman, 1982): Miller 2001, 633.

Type locality. Long Reef, Australia.

Type material. According to Rudman (1982), the holotype is deposited the Australian Museum, Sydney (C92613).

Geographical distribution. Only reported from New Zealand and Australia (Morton & Miller 1968 as Baeolidia major; Powell 1976, 1979; Willan & Morton 1984).

External and internal morphology. Described in detail and figured by Rudman (1982). No specimens available for the present study.

Remarks. We transfer Spurilla australis to Baeolidia based on the fact that its rhinophoral papillae (small knobs) are one of the types of Baeolidia ’s (Fig. 3) and because its morphological similarities with the type species of this genus ( Baeolidia moebii). Regarding the characteristic of the radula, the teeth of B. moebii seem to be wider and have shorter denticles than those of B. australis . However, due to the intraspecific variability of this structure in Aeolidiidae (personal observation), further material of this species would be essential to test the validity of this character. In terms of colouration, B. australis has a thin orange sub-apical band above a broad blue band on each cerata, which it is never present in B. moebii . B. australis looks bluish whereas B. moebii is more yellowish or brownish. The body of B. australis also seems to have a brown and white reticulate pattern that does not appear to be present in B. moebii . Recently Rudman (2007b) questioned the validity of B. australis, but until this species could be examined from a morphological and/or molecular point of view we retain B. australis as a distinct species.