Molluscs and their egg masses have been a focus of Assoc. Prof. Andy Davis's lab. for more than a decade. They are useful model organisms with which to explore the impacts of stress as well as understanding patterns of biodiversity. In addition, many are an important potential source of novel pharmaceutical compounds. The Illawarra region supports a rich molluscan fauna, with tropical as well as temperate influences. The nudibranch Ceratosoma brevicaudatum Abraham is regularly encountered in this region. It grows to 150 mm in length and is distributed from northern Western Australia around the southern coast, including Tasmania, to Byron Bay