AI interpretation of flattened paddle-like cerata.
AI interpretation of flattened cerata; microscopic chambers and coral detail are approximate.
Overview
Rudman’s museum account describes large flattened cerata containing branched digestive ducts and brown chambers of algal symbionts. It records feeding on Sarcophyton soft coral and explicitly leaves other possible coral foods unresolved. These enlarged cerata distinguish the described form from an arbitrary slug covered in thin spikes; the organism is neither a coral nor a plant.
Bogdanov and colleagues isolated nineteen secondary metabolites from one specimen. Selected compounds deterred Canthigaster solandri in laboratory feeding assays. The result supports a chemical-defence role under those test conditions, rather than immunity to every predator or an identical metabolome in every individual. The paper discusses likely coral-derived chemistry; origin of each compound is not directly demonstrated by resemblance alone.
Origins & earliest records
Living mollusc; present symbiosis and chemical assays do not date its evolutionary origin.
Evidence & interpretation
Selected scientific and institutional evidence.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
- 02
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Look for a taxonomic record and classified relativesReferences
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Australian Museum species accountPhyllodesmium longicirrumResearch access: 2026-10-12
- Primary chemical-defence studySecondary metabolome and its defensive role in the aeolidoidean Phyllodesmium longicirrum, (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Nudibranchia)Research access: 2026-10-12
Image credits
Modern scientific interpretationAI interpretation of flattened paddle-like cerata.
AI interpretation of flattened cerata; microscopic chambers and coral detail are approximate.