Photo Observation of the Month of September - Red-lined Bubble Snail - Pretty in Pink

I'd like to congratulate user eschlogl for his Photo Observation of the Month of September of a Red-lined Bubble Snail (Bullina lineata) from Camp Cove. Erik has been on an absolute tear in the month of September, submitting 53 observations from Parsley Bay or Camp Cove alone, which represents 90% of the total input to the Marine Biodiversity in Southern Sydney Harbour project in that month. All of these observations are now "Research Grade", bar this goatfish, this sea urchin, this sponge, this wrasse, this leatherjacket, and this cardinalfish.

The Red-lined Bubble Snail is found throughout the tropical and subtropical Indo-West Pacific intertidal zone, but generally subtidally in temperate locations like Sydney Harbour, where it can be found in moderate numbers, then not again for years. Mini boom and bust perhaps? It is an interesting species in that it displays an intermediate phenotype and phylogenetic placement relative to its heavily shelled and lightly shelled congeners. You also cannot help but notice the spirally grooved shell with a characteristic pattern of pink lines. This species is thought to feed primarily on polychaete worms. Yum, yum, yum...

The observation of this species is a reminder for the Annual Sea Slug Census that runs at a range of Australian locations from the Gold Coast to Melbourne and offshore on Lord Howe Island. This census is now well and truly entrenched in Australian citizen science circles, and regularly makes the news. The initiative represents a rapidly expanding citizen science program in which volunteers photographically record observations of sea slugs during nominated events. The observations contributed by citizens have led to much improved distributional data for sea slugs, the discovery of new species, increasing evidence of poleward range extensions, all of which can act as key indicators of our changing environment. Indeed, sea slugs serve as "canaries in the coal mine" based on their short generation times, which means that they rapidly adapt to changing environmental conditions (i.e., shifting temperatures and food availability). Southern Cross University (SCU) marine scientist Professor Steve Smith helped establish the first census in 2013 at Nelson Bay in New South Wales. Keep an eye out for calls to action later in the year in your local area.

This journal post was written by project leader and iNaturalist member, Dr Joseph DiBattista.