A New Zealand slug has been found which could, an expert says, be a new species.
The slug, which features retractable, spiky protrusions was found on Mt Stokes in the Malborough Sounds.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“DOC sent the photo to Hamilton-based Landcare Research officer Gary Barker, who has a specialist interest in indigenous and invasive terrestrial molluscs of New Zealand.
“Mr Barker said the slug belonged to the genus Pseudaneitea, which was found only in New Zealand. The genus has about 20 species, occurring from the central North Island to the subantarctic islands.
“Mr Barker said that as far as he could see from the photograph, it was a new species, but because it was not collected, this could not be confirmed.
“”Some species are very hard to find, and people don’t often collect or photograph them.”