Sagaminopteron ornatum, WA, Australia, Photo: Tom Davis
Sagaminopteron ornatum, Eden, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Sagaminopteron ornatum, Moruya, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Distribution
Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Small internal shell and a purple body with wide orange-margined side lobes, making it one of the most distinctive of all opisthobranchs. The species is generally found attached to the bottom in the vicinity of a grey sponge, but can also swim, which it does rarely by flapping the side lobes in a slow bat-like motion. Although this sea slug is not abundant, it is well known to divers because its bright colouration attracts attention.
Information
Max Size: 3 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 12.5-24.7°C
Depth: 0-20m
Habitat: Rocky Reef
Rarity
IUCN Threat Status: Not Evaluated
Occurrence: Infrequent (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: Few (2 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
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