The occurrence of the freshwater Polyzoan, Plumatella repens (Van Beneden), in Tasmania

Abstract

The present note records for the first time the occurrence of Plumatella re'pens in Tasmania. This widely distributed European species has already been found in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and New Zealand. It is not surprising, therefore, that its distribution should also extend to this State. Our specimens were collected from a small creek which runs through the Punch Bowl Reserve, near Launceston, and we have met with it also in a creek running through Harland Rise, the estate of Mr. H. Dowling, near Evandale. The Polyzoan seems to flourish during the months October, November, and December. It is during this period that the creeks are running slowly and well stocked with algre. The colonies of polypides are generally attached to the undersurface of stones and sunken logs, and a single colony may cover an area of 100 square centimetres.