Oxynoe viridis
Long-tailed bubble slug | sap sucker
Distribution
Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Variable in colour from light to dark green. It occurs commonly on clumps of Caulerpa geminata and C. cactoides along the southern coast, but is rarely seen unless deliberately searched for because the rounded body resembles the bubble-shaped vesicles of the associated plant. The long tail is readily sacrificed if the animal is threatened.
Information
Max Size: 3 cm
Sea Temperature Range: N/A
Depth: 0-20m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated
Occurrence: Rare (0.6% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Many (83 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney