Red Sea Pleurobranchus

February 2, 2005
From: Binyamin Koretz

Dear Bill,

From March to June 2004 we encountered a number of fairly large pleurobranchs that don't fit the Pleurobranchus grandis description, in that they lack the posterior siphon (broad tail-like extension) and the coloration is more red than brown. Also, these slugs are smaller (12-15 cm) than the P. grandis (up to 25cm!) that we see here in Eilat.

What they have in common is that they all have red rings of polygonal tubercles around the grandis-like dark-tipped tubercles, and they were all observed at the same dive site, at various depths (4 to 22 m).

I'm attaching photos of 3 individuals out of the 7 we photographed, to give you an idea of the range of color and markings.

In the same 2004 season, we photographed 17 'typical'  P. grandis specimens, 2 at this dive site and the other 15 at a 2nd site several km away.

What do you think of these?

Locality: Village Beach, Eilat, Israel, Red Sea. Depth: 4 to 22 m. Length: up to 15 cm. Mar 2004 to Jun 2004. rubble slope, small coral pinnacles, seagrass. Photographer: Binyamin and Shulamit Koretz

Best regards
Binyamin

binyamin@koretz.net

Koretz, B., 2005 (Feb 2) Red Sea Pleurobranchus. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12894

Dear Binyamin,
I think these are all small? juvenile? examples of  Pleurobranchus grandis. The posterior siphon is often not developed in smaller animals. The colour range certainly fits the range found in this species. Michael Mrutzek's photos show the siphon in similarly coloured animals to yours [message #10039],

I could of course be wrong, so all I can say is keep a watch on the population and see if you can see some of these siphon-less ones developing a siphon, or see if you can see a relationship between presence of siphon and size of the animals.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Feb 2). Comment on Red Sea Pleurobranchus by Binyamin Koretz. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12894

Factsheet

Pleurobranchus grandis

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