Acanthodoris rhodoceras from California
June 13, 2005
From: Denise Weisman
Hello again,
This nudibranch was collected and photographed from the San Clemente Artifical Reef, California.
Locality: San Clemente Artificial Reef, California, USA. Pacific Ocean. Depth: 50 feet. Length: 1 cm. 09 September 2004. Subtidal Photographer: Denise Weisman
Judging from the black tipped dorsal papillae and rhinophores, the black lining of the dorsum and less than 9 branchial plumes, I am thinking this nudibranch is Acanthodoris rhodoceras. However, the tips of the branchial plume are more of an orange rather than the typical black; just a color variation?
Thanks for your help,
Denise Weisman
weisman@lifesci.ucsb.edu
Weisman, D.W., 2005 (Jun 13) Acanthodoris rhodoceras from California. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14040
Dear Denise,
This is Acanthodoris rhodoceras. I think the very orange-pink colour of the gills may be to do with a bit of over-exposure in the photograph or it may be that the black pigment is not so well developed in some specimens. There is certainly some black present in some of the gills. In many nudibranchs the gills and rhinophores are similarly coloured, and in this species both orange and black are part of the rhinophore colour pattern and I suspect they are part of the gill colour pattern as well. Probably the black usually maska the orange.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
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