Cuthona sibogae
(Bergh, 1905)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Tergipedidae

DISTRIBUTION

Probably widespread Indo-West Pacific.

PHOTO

UPPER RIGHT: on food hydroid Sertularella. Darwin, Northern Territory, June 1987. AM C153594. Photo: Bill Rudman.
LOWER: Scanning electron micrographs of the radula of an animal from Broadhurst Reef, off Townsville, North Queensland. Scale bar = 10 microns. Photo: Geoff Avern.

A moderately large aeolid nudibranch in which the cerata are arranged in about eight fan-like clusters on each side of the body. The cerata are cylindrical, tapering at the tip to a rounded point. The general body colouration is pale lilac purple. The oral tentacles and the upper half of the slender smooth rhinophores are a reddish purple. The cerata are similar in colour to the body except for a bright golden yellow tip and a band just below the yellow tip which ranges from deep reddish purple to deep purple. Many of the smaller outer cerata in each row are golden yellow with nno purplish basal region. It grows to 35mm in length. It is usually found associated with its food, an orange hydroid, Sertularella quadridens.

Previously called Cuthona sp. 4 in the Forum. See messages below.

Reference:
• Bergh, L.S.R. (1905). Die Opisthobranchiata. Siboga Expeditie Report, 50: 248pp., Pls 1-20.
• • Marshall, J.G. & Willan, R.C. (1999). Nudibranchs of Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef. A survey of the Opisthobranchia (Sea Slugs) of Heron and Wistari Reefs. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, pp. 1-257, figs 1-280

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (October 20) Cuthona sibogae (Bergh, 1905). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/cuthsp4

Related messages

  1. Cuthona sibogae from Indian Ocean (Mayotte Island)
    From: Sandrine et Hugues Flodrops, March 18, 2009
  2. Cuthona sibogae from Thailand, feeding
    From: Marcel Tanke, February 10, 2009
  3. Egg-laying Cuthona sibogae from Port Stephens
    From: Leanne & David Atkinson, August 6, 2008
  4. Mating Cuthona sibogae
    From: Leanne & David Atkinson, August 5, 2008
  5. Mating Cuthona sibogae
    From: Patricia Dilworth, August 28, 2007
  6. Cuthona sibogae from Sulawesi
    From: Mike Krampf, April 18, 2007
  7. Unidentified nudibranch from Mabul
    From: David Kearnes, March 3, 2006
  8. Are Phestilla sibogae & Cuthona sibogae different?
    From: Xikun Song, August 17, 2005
  9. Cuthona sibogae on the Sunshine Coast
    From: Gary Cobb, October 20, 2003
  10. Cuthona sibogae - diseased?
    From: Leanne & David Atkinson, September 3, 2003
  11. Cuthona sibogae from Port Stephens
    From: David & Leanne Atkinson, February 7, 2003
  12. Cuthona sibogae from Riau, Indonesia
    From: Alice Lee, November 4, 2002
  13. Cuthona sibogae? from eastern Australia
    From: David Harasti, October 29, 2002
  14. Re: Flabellina? from the Red Sea
    From: Erwin Koehler, October 26, 2002
  15. Re: Flabellina? from the Red Sea
    From: Philip Cromwell, October 26, 2002
  16. Flabellina? from the Red Sea
    From: Erwin Koehler, October 24, 2002
  17. Cuthona sibogae from Papua New Guinea
    From: Erwin Koehler, October 23, 2002
  18. Flabellina? identification
    From: Alice Lee, March 26, 2002
  19. Cuthona sibogae from Port Stephens
    From: Akos Lumnitzer, March 18, 2002
  20. Cuthona sibogae from the Marshall Islands
    From: Scott Johnson, June 18, 2001
  21. Cuthona sibogae from Mozambique
    From: Kirsty Miller, June 11, 2001
  22. Food of Cuthona sibogae
    From: Richard Willan, September 17, 2000
  23. Re: aeolid from Fiji
    From: Bruce Wight, September 15, 2000
  24. aeolid from Fiji
    From: Bruce Wight, September 13, 2000
  25. Cuthona? from Sth Africa
    From: Valda Fraser, December 13, 1999
  26. Cuthona from Port Stephens, New South Wales
    From: Ron Greer, December 13, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages