Stiliger smaragdinus
Cactus sea slug
Same Genus
Distribution
Temperate Australasia, Temperate northern Pacific
Description
Largest known Australian opisthobranch that feeds on the cell contents of green algae. The animal is lime-green in colour and has its upper surface obscured by rows of cerata. On the rare occasions when the species has been seen, it has usually been associated with the alga Caulerpa cactoides.
Information
Max Size: 8 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 10.4-18.4°C
Depth: 0-22m
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: Infrequent (1.3% 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: Solitary (1 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Ian Shaw