Thread: Unknown Sea Creature - who can identify it?

Originally Posted by Michael2

I've been away for a few weeks - road tripping with the family, and amongst the many interesting animals we saw, we came across this strange creature.

Are there any marine biologists amongst us?

I found this creature swimming in a shallow bay in South Australia. It's about 5cm across, and has a velvety black outer side and a white underside. It swims vertically in the water, and along the underside has a long thin body running the entire length, from which eminate the "wings". It was filmed with the camera looking down onto it. Can anyone tell me what it is? - Please.

Youtube link is here : YouTube- sea creature.wmv

Thanks, Michael

WTF !!!

better video here...

but I'm unconvinced it would be the same species in such a different oceanic zone as to my understanding the 'spanish dancer' is more of a tropical water species than a cold temperate such as found from the waters of South Australia which have swept up from the southern ocean.

Probably the same family but the OP's video is not clear enough to distinguish the major morphological variances between the members of the cryptobranchia taxon. e.g. retractable gills (or not), juvenile or adult etc etc - I'd assume it is juvenile so the colours may not be representative of the adult, but you never know...

Former marine biologist - oh how I wish I was still doing it as a paid job

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgrkPZ-Q8rI&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- Spanish Dancer[/ame]

Reminded me of the "spanish dancer" too.

I've renamed the youtube video to reflect my newfound knowledge, so now it's at :

YouTube - landrover109siii's Channel

Thanks again everyone

My first thought was a flatworm (platyhelminthes) from its shape, but I've never seen one moving like that. However there is a video of a leopard flatworm moving like that on youtube;

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCH37KI_R_E&NR=1"]YouTube- Leopard Flatworm[/ame]

Nudibranchs have prominent gills on their back which you can see in the video of the spanish dancer. I can't really see any gills in your video?? It also looks "flatter" than a spanish dancer??...but then again I've never seen a spanish dancer.

Nice little video clip by the way.

Cheers
Mark

Originally Posted by BlueWagon

My first thought was a flatworm (platyhelminthes) from its shape, ...

Nudibranchs have prominent gills on their back which you can see in the video of the spanish dancer. I can't really see any gills in your video?? It also looks "flatter" than a spanish dancer??...but then again I've never seen a spanish dancer.

Nice little video clip by the way.

Cheers
Mark

Thanks Mark, the flat worm looks a lot like it. I've sent an email with my link to nudibranch.org for verification, so hopefully they'll reply some day soon. It looks very tropical, so all the more remarkable that it was on the same beach as a penguin!

Well I thought it was a bird of paradise! LOL Seriously this forum rocks!

The beast is almost certainly a flat worm and not a Spanish Dancer. Don't know what species but will check some references when I get to work tomorrow.

Cheers
KarlB