Examples of the Weird and the Wonderful

Supported by Acknowledgments Dedication This booklet is dedicated to Mr Tony Flaherty, Manager of Coast and Marine at AMLR Natural Resources, for his Sincere thanks to Natural Resources - Adelaide and Mount Lofty ongoing interest in and support of marine species research Ranges (AMLR), the AMLR NRM Board, Ms Liz Millington and conservation in South Australia. (Volunteer Programs Coordinator at AMLR NRM) and Ms Katie Littlejohns, for supporting the creation of this guide. Thank you to the marine researchers and photographers who provided images. In alphabetical order, they include: L. Altoff, L. Baade, Citation J. Baker-Johnson, J. Brook, H. Crawford, D. Fernie, D. Kutyna, Baker, J.L. (2013) Marine Invertebrates of the Adelaide and J. Manna, P. Mercurio, L. Nazimi, Dr D. Muirhead, and Dr G. Mt Lofty Ranges NRM Region – Examples of the Weird and Rouse. The ability of these persons to find and photograph the the Wonderful. Booklet produced with support from AMLR marine animals featured in this guide, has enabled images of Natural Resources, South Australia. some rarely recorded species within the waters of AMLR NRM Region to be shared publicly, and for that, I am always grateful. The text contained in this publication is intended as a source A number of the photographers are members of South of information only. Whilst due care has been taken in Australian Conservation Research Divers (SACReD). Several compiling this information, contributors to this publication photographs from the internet have also been included, and do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw, and thanks to D. Beechey (www.seashellsofnsw.org.au); Professor therefore disclaim all liability for any errors or omissions, G. Edgar (Reef Life Survey); Drs M. Norman and J. Finn, loss, damage, or consequences which may arise from any M. Marmach, C. Rowley and B. Patullo (Museum Victoria); information given in this publication. P. Géry (at Wikimedia Commons) and E. Hardy and P. Ignoti (www.gastropods.com). Thanks to SACReD divers for donating This publication was made with the assistance of a grant in photos for backgrounds on most pages. Thanks also to J. Chuk 2012 from Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty and Dr D. Staples for some species identifications, and to A. Ranges (NR AMLR). Views expressed are those of the author Falconer and L. Altoff. I am grateful to Dr S. Shepherd (SARDI) for and not necessarily those of NR AMLR, and NR AMLR proofreading the draft text. Many thanks to Marine Life Society accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of information of SA (MLSSA) and SACReD for their commitment to public contained herein. education about South Australian marine life. Thank you to those who read this guide, and are inspired to further © J.L. Baker 2013. Copyright for individual photographs understand, appreciate and help conserve the remarkable remains with photographers. Cover photo: © L. Baade. marine invertebrate fauna in the AMLR NRM region. The marine invertebrate fauna of South Australia consists Marine invertebrates are animals without backbones, of thousands of species, most of which are rarely seen or which live in the marine environment. In many groups, the known. This booklet provides examples of some less soft body is supported by a hard external skeleton or shell commonly recorded invertebrates in the Adelaide and made of calcium carbonate, or chitin, or a combination of Mt Lofty Ranges NRM region, which includes much of the the two. Some marine invertebrates are strengthened eastern side of Gulf St Vincent, Fleurieu Peninsula and inside by various minerals, or by proteins. Encounter Bay. The booklet includes some examples of species which are currently considered to be endemic There are more than 30 major groups (phyla). Some of the with this State (i.e. not known from any other area), and most well known include: some which have not yet been taxonomically described. • cnidarians (jellyfishes, sea anemones, corals and other For such little known species, distributions rapidly related animals) change as new records are found. Species of narrow • segmented worms (including the polychaetes) geographic range and/or narrow depth distribution are • molluscs (which includes the bivalve and gastropod more vulnerable to decline than more broadly shells, and also the octopuses, squids, cuttlefishes) distributed species. Invertebrate species which are • crustaceans (a large group which includes lobsters, crabs, patchily distributed and have low population numbers, shrimps and prawns, barnacles, isopods, amphipods and are also more susceptible to impacts. Life history traits other shelled animals) which can increase vulnerability of invertebrates to • echinoderms (such as the sea stars, brittle stars, sea threatening processes and consequent population urchins, and sea cucumbers) and decline include live-bearing reproduction and limited • tunicates (ascidians / sea squirts). dispersal of young (as occurs in southern cowries and volute shells), and strong site association with coastal One other large group, the sponges, is not discussed in this habitats, such as shallow seagrass beds, reefs, and guide. The world’s largest invertebrate group, the sponge gardens. A number of such potentially arthropods (e.g. spiders and insects), also has marine vulnerable species are discussed in this booklet, in members but they are much less numerous than those on addition to the rarely recorded and endemic species. land, and only one group in Arthropoda is discussed here. Undescribed species

Anemones are solitary, sedentary animals which are related to corals. There are numerous undescribed species in South Australia, some of which have not been recorded in other States. The column-shaped body of some anemone species is buried in sand; © P. Mercurio others attach to rocks. Anemones have a mouth on top of the body column, surrounded by hollow Epiphellia sp. at Rapid Bay tentacles. They are supported by water pressure, so when anemones are exposed to air, the tentacles cannot operate. Several burrowing anemone species in SA bear live young. Most anemones are hermaphrodites and produce free-swimming larvae. They can also reproduce by splitting off pieces of their body, or by budding off juveniles from inside their body. © P. Mercurio

A number of stinging anemone species with tropical Undescribed species living on metal affinities occur seasonally in SA, and these are in of the HMAS Hobart wreck the process of taxonomic description.

An example of a very rarely recorded anemone in SA is an undescribed species in the tropical genus Epiphellia, recently photographed at Rapid Bay. A number of rarely recorded burrowing anemone species also occur in the AMLR NRM region. © J. Manna Mopsella in Fleurieu area

The Alcyonacea is a large group of soft corals which includes the sea fans, or gorgonians. Soft coral colonies have water-pumping polyps and feeding polyps with tentacles which catch drifting food. The coral body is supported internally by small calcareous spicules. Some species which grow in sunlit waters contain symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae, which can produce food for the coral through photosynthesis. Some soft © J. Brook corals in SA are found mainly in deeper water areas of strong current, and others are common on shallow jetty piles. There are around 550 named species of soft coral in Australia, and very few of these occur Carijoa in SA gulfs in South Australia. Various undescribed species are also known in SA. There are several common and widespread soft corals in the AMLR NRM region, including an unnamed Carijoa species, and the multi-branched Mopsella zimmeri, which provides a micro- habitat for various invertebrates, such as allied cowries, feather stars and basket stars.

Several species of stony corals are found in SA, some of which also occur in tropical Australia. The most common species in South Australia are the solitary coral Scolymia australis and the colonial corals Plesiastrea versipora and Coscinaraea mcneilli. These corals do not form large reefs in southern waters, but can grow as plates or heads (“bommies”) in some areas. © J. Baker Temperate corals extend their polyp tentacles at night to feed. They also make food during the day, with the aid of symbiotic zooxanthellae algae, which photosynthesise.

Some stony corals that occur in SA have slow growth rates (less than 1cm / year) and live for hundreds of years. They are easily damaged by trawling and dredging, and by sedimentation. Temperate corals may be threatened over time by global warming, including increases in sea level, temperature, UV exposure, disease susceptibility, severity of storms, and ocean acidity. © H. Crawford Parmularia smeatoni in Encounter Bay

Bryozoans are small, colonial, filter-feeding animals (zooids), which live in housings of calcareous or chitinous material. Some form flat, perforated, or encrusting colonies which look like stony corals. Others form fan- shaped, stalked colonies (e.g. the South Australian Parmularia), and some have erect colonies with many branches, which are often (c) D. Fernie, Ocean in Colour http://www.oceanincolour.com.au/ mistaken for seaweeds. Zooids in the colonies are tightly packed, but each has it own “cell” There are hundreds of bryozoan species in SA, to live in. There are specialised zooids in and the majority of these occur in other parts some bryozoan colonies, some used in of southern Australia. Most are difficult to defence, and others used as hatcheries for identify without microscopic examination. fertilised eggs. Some bryozoans are quite large, such as the 30cm high Adeona grisea, which lives deep on Species in Bugulidae, Granite Island the floor of Backstairs Passage. A species in the dome-shaped Lunulites genus occurs in Investigator Strait sediments; it is supported, cleaned and sometimes propelled along by specially adapted colony members. Broken up bryozoan skeletons form a major component of sand in South Australia.

Flatworms are unusual animals which have no respiratory organs or blood vessels. They are thin-bodied, often about 1mm thick. Flatworms are usually found under rocks on © L. Nazimi reef, or in seaweed (macroalgae) and seagrass. Flatworm in Prosthiostomidae, from SA gulfs

Some flatworms have a pair of ‘eyes’ (clusters of light sensitive cells) at one end of the body, and others have numerous eyes scattered around the edge of the body. Flatworms are hermaphrodites, with both sexes in one body. Many species can also reproduce by fragmenting. © L. Altoff, FNCV

The flatworm fauna of SA is rich in species, but Thysanozoon species, undescribed poorly known. Some species have been recorded only from South Australia, and some also occur in other southern States. There are many undescribed flatworms in southern Australia, including species shown here from AMLR NRM region and surrounds.

Micro-turbellaria is a collective term for a large group of small, fast-moving flatworms, found in both marine and fresh waters. These worms are predatory, and feed on other invertebrates. Some reproduce by splitting; others reproduce sexually © D. Kutyna (i.e. with sperm and eggs), and fertilised eggs are laid in capsules on the substrate. Micro-turbellarian from SE Australia The taxonomy of the micro-turbellarians is very complicated. There are several major groups, and their taxonomic placement and relationships are still uncertain. Examples include the Tricladida, the Prolecithophora, and the Macrostomida. Correct identification requires internal © L. Altoff, FNCV examination of specimens. Very similar in external appearance are the primitive Micro-turbellarian from Encounter Bay acoelomorphs, small worms which have no gut, and were once grouped with the flatworms.

The micro-turbellarian fauna of SA is virtually unknown, even though these animals are likely to be widespread in plankton, marine sediments, © J. Baker-Johnson and in macroalgae. Undescribed species from Rapid Bay, possibly in genus Micrura

Ribbon worms (nemerteans) are extensible, unsegmented worms, found in all marine environments. Ribbon worms have a smooth, muscular body coated in mucus. Most species are carnivorous. The ribbon worm fauna of South Australia has not been studied until recently, and there are many undescribed species.

Some ribbon worms in SA have been recorded only in one locality to date, and others have cosmopolitan distributions. One example of a rarely recorded species is an undescribed white nemertean with a purple central stripe and orange spots, for which a sighting at Rapid Bay in 2011 may be the first record known. The large (~75cm) black and white nemertean with gold spots is also undescribed. © L. Baade Undescribed species, recorded in Encounter Bay and Victoria

Ribbon worms have eyes (two, four or many) at one end of the body. They feed using a proboscis. In some species the proboscis contains a piercing barb (stylet), which is used to stab prey and introduce toxins into the prey’s body. Ribbon worms have the ability to regrow when broken. Some species shed eggs and sperm which become larvae, and a few species are live-bearing: new worms are brooded © L. Altoff, FNCV internally and released through the body wall.

Undescribed species, recorded in SA gulfs and Victoria There are many undescribed and previously unseen species of small ribbon worm, in intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats across southern Australia. Small ribbon worms are commonly found in seagrass and seaweed, but are hard to observe © L. Altoff, FNCV without collection and microscopic examination.

Recently, various small ribbon worms (most ranging Undescribed species, recorded in SA gulfs and Victoria in size from several millimetres to several centimetres in size) have been collected in South Australia, and compared with specimens from Victoria, where ribbons worms have been regularly collected and examined in recent years, and are currently being taxonomically described. © L. Altoff, FNCV Spoon worms (echiurans) are soft, eyeless marine worms found in a wide variety of Ikeda sp. from Rapid Bay marine environments. There are less than 15 species known in Australia, and about half a dozen of these occur in SA.

Spoon worms have a sac-like body which sits in a burrow in mud or sand, or amongst rocks. The body wall can absorb oxygen from the surrounding water.

These animals have a long, extendible © P. Mercurio proboscis which is stretched out over the sea floor to collect food from around the burrow. Anelassorhynchus porcellus When a spoon worm is disturbed, the long proboscis can be quickly retracted back into the sand. The proboscis can be regenerated if it is damaged or lost.

There are separate male and female spoon worms and they produce sperm and eggs which are released into the surrounding water. In some species, the male is very small (e.g. 1 – 3 mm), and lives inside the female. © J. Finn, Museum Victoria Unidentified phoronid from Rapid Bay

Phoronida (horseshoe worms) is a small phylum of worm-like animals that are related to bryozoans and brachiopods. There are reported to be only about 8 named species in Australia, all widespread in distribution. Phoronids are usually found in small or large groups, on rubble or sand substrates, or in reef. These animals live in membranous chitin tubes secreted by the body © D. Muirhead surface, and they lack appendages. Phoronids have a group of horseshoe-shaped or ellipse- shaped tentacles at one end, called a lophophore, used for feeding and respiration. Phoronids trap Phoronis hippocrepia food particles from the water with the mucus on their tentacles.

Identification of species requires examining the shape of the lophophore ridge with tentacles in cross-section, which is a specialised process. There are few records of horseshoe worms in SA, and they are rarely photographed. All of the specimens in Australian museums are from outside of South Australia. © Parent Géry @ Wikimedia Commons Magellania sp.

Brachiopods, also known as lampshells, have two hinged shells (valves), and inside the valves is a structure called a lophophore, used for feeding and respiration. The lophophore has filaments, and the beating of small, hair-like cilia along the filaments © H. Crawford produces a water flow through the valves when they are open. Brachiopods may be attached to mud, sand, Pirothyris vercoi rock or shells by a muscular stalk called a pedicle. Some are attached by spines, and others are directly cemented to reef. Some species lay on the sand, with no anchoring.

Brachiopods are common in the fossil record, dating back at least 550 million years. Thousands of extinct © C. Rowley, Museum Victoria species are known, but there are only about 350 species occurring in the world today. Excluding the Cancellothyris hedleyi sub-Antarctic waters, there are less than 40 named species living in Australia.

Examples in AMLR NRM include the southern lamp shell Magellania flavescens; the small (7mm) pink or red species Pirothyris vercoi, and the 3cm reef- dwelling species Cancellothyris hedleyi, which often has a yellow sponge attached to the valves. © G. Edgar, Reef Life Survey Terebellidae (spaghetti worms) is one of several families of polychaete worms which build tubes in mud, sand or on reef surfaces. Terebellids have thin, papery tubes coated in sand, mud, shell debris and/or small stones. These worms are soft-bodied, and feed on organic particles which are caught by the numerous long © H. Crawford tentacles near the mouth.

There are over 100 named terebellids in Australia, plus various undescribed species. About 40 of the described species are known to occur in South Australia. There are several unnamed reef terebellids in SA, and some are known from only a few locations so far (including parts of Gulf St Vincent), due to lack of targeted searches. Detailed examination of specimens is usually required for identification. © L. Baade Around a dozen species and sub-species of cowry exist in South Australia, and half of these are found in the AMLR NRM Region. Most occur on reefs, under rocks and stones, and also in crevices, © P. Mercurio or on sponges. Cowries camouflage their ornamented shells with folds of the body. They are often nocturnal in habit, and eat sponges.

Southern Australian cowries brood eggs, which hatch as crawling snails that have no dispersive larval stage. Some species, such as the black cowry Zoila thersites, live for longer than 10 years.

Populations of cowries found in areas that are © P. Mercurio accessible to divers, are prone to exploitation due to their site association, lack of dispersal, and value as collectables. In some parts of South Australia, there are populations of highly valued cowry species. Those which are found on sponges are easy to see and collect. There are examples of population depletions in some shallow areas, but deeper water habitats provide some refuge. © P. Mercurio Undescribed Phenacovolva species

Spindle cowries are narrow gastropod shells in the family Ovulidae, which also includes the egg cowries. There are several egg cowry species in South Australia, not discussed here. In Australia, there are around 70 named species in the Ovulidae. The elongated spindle cowries have a specialised habitat and diet, living and feeding on sea fan corals such as Mopsella. Most spindle © P. Mercurio cowries are tropical or sub-tropical, and few species are known from southern Australia.

The Phenacovolva spindle cowry from the AMLR Undescribed Phenacovolva species NRM Region shown here is the second record of a spindle cowry in SA, and the first from Gulf St Vincent. It is also the first South Australian example of Phenacovolva from shallow subtidal waters. The first South Australian record of a spindle cowry in this genus is an undescribed species which was found in 1971, on a sea fan at 60m deep, in the eastern Great Australian Bight.

© P. Mercurio Volute shells often live buried in sand, and are active nocturnal predators. Some volutes aggregate Ericusa papillosa at spawning time. Females lay egg capsules, elaborately shaped in some species. The eggs of many volute species hatch directly as small snails.

Volutes can live for more than 10 years. The limited dispersal of young can result in distinct colour forms of volutes over small geographical areas. Volutes in some locations are vulnerable to over-collecting for © D. Beechey the shell trade, or as curios. Amoria undulata There are more than a dozen species of volute in SA. All occur in other southern Australian States. Some of the uncommon species in the AMLR Region include Nannamoria guntheri, Notovoluta kreuslerae and Notopeplum translucidum.

Notovoluta kreuslerae

Cephalaspidea is a large group of sea slugs which includes the bubble shells, sea hares and headshield slugs. Most of these slugs lack a shell, or have a small internal shell. Some have a fragile external shell. Sea © J. Baker slugs are hermaphrodites. Eggs are usually laid in a gelatinous mass. Most species have planktonic Philinopsis troubridgensis larvae, but some hatch as crawling miniatures which resemble the adults.

The Aglajidae family of Headshield Slugs, are usually found in sand, near reefs or seagrass beds, mainly on sheltered coasts. The broad head shield is used to plow beneath the surface of sand, and prevents sand entering the mantle cavity. Some species have fleshy, © D. Muirhead wing-like projections (parapodia) on the sides of the Philinopsis cyanea (P. speciosa) body. Head shield slugs have well-developed sensory structures, used to detect prey.

Some of the species which occur in the AMLR NRM Region include the rarely recorded tropical slugs Philinopsis lineolata and P. cyanea / P. speciosa. The large sea slug P. troubridgensis from SA and WA may be closely related to P. cyanea. © D. Muirhead Digidentis kulonba at Encounter Bay

Nudibranchs are opisthobranch sea slugs which have gills on the dorsal side, sensory organs called rhinophores, and no shell. Diet is often specialised, hence distribution of some species relates to food availability. © J. Baker Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites, with male and female parts in the same animal. Eggs Thorunna florens at Rapid Bay are usually laid in a gelatinous mass. Most species have swimming larvae, but some hatch as small, crawling juveniles. Nudibranchs in the taxonomic suborder Doridina have gills in a crown shape on their back, and the rhinophores are usually large. A few of these species are rarely recorded in © D. Muirhead the AMLR NRM region - some have a narrow range, and others are largely tropical in Unnamed dorid at Noarlunga distribution. Examples of rarely recorded species include the white nudibranch Digidentis kulonba (known from few records); the tropical Thorunna florens; and an unnamed red spotted nudibranch related to species in Doriopsilla, and known to date only from a few records in South Australia. © L. Nazimi Flabellina sp. 2, from the Dredge wreck

Nudibranchs in the taxonomic suborder Aeolidina usually have long bodies, and long outgrowths (cerata) on the dorsal side.

Many species in the group feed on sea © L. Nazimi anemones, soft corals and hydroids, and can store sacs of stinging cells from their prey in Burnaia helicochorda from Normanville the tips of their cerata, for protection against attack.

A few of these aeolid nudibranchs are rarely recorded in the AMLR NRM Region - some have a narrow range, and others are largely tropical in distribution. Examples of rarely © D. Muirhead recorded species include the purple and orange Flabellina sp. 2 (for which an AMLR Cerberilla species, from Hallett Cove NRM record from 2012 may be the first record outside of Victoria); Facelina sp. 3 (a small species with few records from shallow reefs in SA and Victoria), and an unnamed black and white striped species in Cerberilla, which feeds nocturnally on hydroids.

Sea spiders (pycnogonids) are arthropods, distantly related to land spiders. There are more than 1,800 described pycnogonid species around the world. The pycnogonid fauna of South © P. Mercurio Australia is poorly known, with few collections other than from West Island in Encounter Bay. Achelia transfugoides

The sea spider body is so small that part of the gut and the gonads (which produce the sperm and eggs) extend into the legs. Sea spiders have a proboscis, which they use to suck fluids out of anemones and hydroids, worms, bryozoans, and filamentous algae. © B. Patullo Museum Victoria

The male carries the eggs on his legs. There are Stylopallene sp. several larval stages. The first stage has no legs, and is usually carried by the male, or lives parasitically in other invertebrate animals.

Some sea spiders are good swimmers, such as the black-and-gold Stylopallene species shown here.

© H. Crawford Cephalopods are soft-bodied animals, including squids, cuttlefishes and octopus. The head is partly or fully fused with a ‘foot’. There are 8 or 10 arms Sepiadarium sp. covered with suction discs. Cephalopods have complex sensory systems, enabling rapid movements and responses, sudden colour changes, visual acuity, and well developed behaviours, including learning ability.

The small frilled pygmy octopus Octopus superciliosus, found in Victoria, northern Tasmania and SA, lives on sand in seagrass beds, seaweed or sponge gardens, and is often hidden in blades and roots of marine plants. It is rarely found due to its © P. Mercurio small size (arm span to 15cm) and cryptic habits. This species is prey for squid and fur seals. Female Octopus superciliosus O. superciliosus lay large eggs on the sea floor. Eggs hatch in the same area, hence dispersal is limited.

The lace bottletail squid, an undescribed species in Sepiadarium, has been found to date only in SA. This small (35mm) squid may be common in the gulfs. It is found on sand, rubble and reef, and feeds at night on crustaceans. It lays large, spherical eggs. The lace bottletail squid resembles Southern bottletail Squid Sepiadarium austrinum, but does not have the obvious white spots of that species. © M. Norman, Museum Victoria Species in Sphaeromatidae

Globally, the Isopoda is a very species-rich group of crustaceans, abundant in both terrestrial and marine habitats. One of © P. Mercurio the largest families is the marine pill-bugs (Sphaeromatidae). There are more than 5,300 aquatic isopod Pill-bugs are common on rocky shores, and species globally, and hundreds of marine in marine vegetation, and in coastal waters. species occur in Australia. Within the pill-bug Some species are parasitic on fishes. family, there are more than 60 genera in Australia, but few named species in each Pill-bugs can fold over or roll into a ball genus. Many species in southern Australia when disturbed. Females of many species are undescribed, including numerous South brood the juveniles in internal pouches. Australian reef isopods.

Juletta fika Maricoccus brucei

© M. Marmach, Museum Victoria © M. Marmach, Museum Victoria Rowedota shepherdi Sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) are a large group of echinoderms which have leathery skin; calcareous ossicles in the body; retractable tentacles which catch drift food, and numerous small tube feet. These animals also have collagen in the body wall, which can be stiffened or relaxed, enabling them to squeeze through small spaces by “liquefying” their body. Sea cucumbers have numerous ways of reproducing. Some species split in half and regrow the other half (fissiparity); some release sperm and © L. Altoff, FNCV eggs into the water; and others brood the young in the tentacles, or inside the body cavity. The latter species give birth through a small rupture in the Apsolidium handrecki body wall.

There are over 250 named species in Australia, including around 50 species from SA. New species have been described in southern Australia in recent years, some from near shore, and others from more than 2km deep. Two examples from the AMLR NRM Region are the small (2cm) Apsolidium handrecki which is found under rocks, and the larger (6cm)

Rowedota shepherdi, found in seagrass beds. © L. Altoff, FNCV Both species may brood their young. In recent years, tiny seastars (micro-asteroids) of several millimetres long have been discovered in Victoria. One of these, currently the world’s smallest seastar, was named in 2007. There are © C. Rowley. Museum Victoria other undescribed species of similar size in southern Australia.

Micro-asteroids live on sponges and in seaweed, and some species have a fringe of plates around each arm. These might help to anchor the animal on the substrate and prevent it being swept away by waves. These seastars can reproduce by splitting in half (fissiparity), and each half grows © D. Muirhead into a new individual.

Micro-asteroids also occur in SA, as indicated by photographs of individuals on sponges in the family Dysideidae. Such species in SA, including those in the AMLR NRM Region, have not yet been examined or named.

Feather stars are echinoderms which have a small central disc, and “feathered” arms with stiff, pointed projections (pinnules). The arms catch and transport drift food particles down to the mouth in © B. Patullo, Museum Victoria the disc. Many species of feather star cling to supports such as seaweed, sponges or soft corals. Aporometra wilsoni

One of the lesser known species in SA is the small (4cm arms) crinoid Euantedon paucicirra, which is known from few records in Bass Strait, and in the SA gulfs, on reef from 0-10m deep. Marino in the AMLR NRM Region is the type locality.

In some southern species, the adults brood the (c) G. Rouse larvae; juveniles hatch directly from the adult’s pinnules, and attach themselves to the parent with Dorsal side of preserved Aporometra wilsoni a small stalk. One example is the small (3cm arms) feather star Aporometra wilsoni, which broods in winter and spring in Gulf St Vincent. It has a one year life cycle, and by summer, the adults which bred over winter have died, and the population consists mainly of the next generation of young feather stars. © B. Patullo, Museum Victoria Unidentified didemnid

Colonial ascidians are groups of soft-bodied, filter-feeding animals (zooids), attached to rock, seagrass, shells, or other hard surfaces. All Polysyncraton sp. © P. Mercurio ascidians have an external coating of tunicin, a cellulose-like substance. Ascidians feed and breathe through openings called siphons, and the body includes a heart (which can pump blood in Leptoclinides sp. two directions), a stomach, and other organs. Colonial ascidians share bodily connections to various extents, and some have communal waste © J. Baker siphons. Colonial ascidians can reproduce sexually (i.e. using sperm and eggs) or asexually Possibly Pseudodistoma species (by budding new clones). Many colonial ascidians brood embryos, which hatch into larvae that © J. Baker swim for a short time before settling on the substrate, to begin a new colony. There are more Lissoclinum laneum than 300 colonial ascidian species in southern

Australia. The distribution of many species is © D. Muirhead poorly known, due to lack of surveys. Shown here are several uncommonly recorded species which occur in the AMLR NRM Region, and are known from few records. © H. Crawford ossicle: a small piece of calcified material which forms part of the skeleton of an invertebrate, such as an echinoderm. plankton: small or microscopic plants and animals which drift or arthropod: an invertebrate which has jointed limbs, a segmented float in the sea or fresh water. body, and an external skeleton made of chitin. photosynthesis: the process by which green plants and some other calcareous: containing calcium carbonate, a chalk-like solid. organisms use sunlight to synthesise foods from carbon dioxide carnivorous: flesh-eating; feeding on other animals. and water. Oxygen is an important by-product of the process. chitin: a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide, related to cellulose. pharynx: part of the alimentary canal immediately behind the mouth in invertebrates. cilia: minute, hair-like vibrating structures which assist feeding, respiration or movement. polychaete: chiefly marine worms, which have paired appendages (parapodia) bearing bristles. colonial: relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colonies. proboscis: an elongated sucking mouthpart that is usually tubular cosmopolitan: relating to, or common to, most or all of the world. and flexible. crustacean: arthropods which have a hard external shell, made of respiration: the transport of oxygen to the cells of an animal, and chitin and calcium carbonate. Includes marine groups, such as the transport of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction. crabs, lobsters, shrimps, amphipods, isopods, and barnacles. sedentary: related to sitting, and inactivity. demersal: living close to the floor of the sea. sedimentation: the process of depositing sediment which, in the detritus: plant and animal remains, waste products, and other marine environment, can degrade reefs and seagrass beds, by organic debris. smothering marine life, and reducing light penetration in water. gastropod: a class of molluscs, often having a single coiled shell siphonous: tubular, with few or no transverse septa (walls inside and flattened muscular foot, with a head bearing stalked “eyes”. cell or structure). hermaphrodite: an animal which has both male and female sex spicules: small needle-like or sharp-pointed structures of calcite or organs. silica that make up the skeleton of a sponge. invertebrate: an animal which does not have a backbone. symbiotic: relating to different species living closely together, larvae: an early life history stage, that undergoes metamorphosis. often but not necessarily in a relationship which benefits each. mollusc: an invertebrate which has a soft unsegmented body, temperate: relating to, or denoting a marine region or climate usually enclosed in a shell. characterised by mild temperatures (e.g. 10 – 24oC). nocturnal: relating to (or occurring in) the night. zooid: an animal which arises from another by budding or division. opisthobranch: member of the Opisthobranchia. Gastropods which zooxanthellae: various micro-algae which live symbiotically within have gills (when present) posterior to the heart, and no operculum. the cells of other organisms. Burn, R. (1989) Opisthobranchs (Subclass Opisthobranchia). In: Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) (2012) Australian Shepherd, S.A. & Thomas, I.M. (Eds) Marine Invertebrates of Faunal Directory. Department of the Environment and Water Southern Australia. Part II. South Australian Government Printing Resources, Canberra Division: Adelaide, South Australia. pp. 725-788.

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