Is this Nembrotha? climbing into a Tridacna

March 9, 2006
From: Pasquale Pascullo

I found this unknown climbing around the shell and then into the clam. I thought that was chancy if the clam closed up. He seemed real smart though, as when he got high on the shell, he stopped, look up and around and when he lent over, he was very cautious. At times, it seemed he didn't want to enter. Looking for food may be?

Locality: Pemba Islands, 7-8 mtrs, Tanzania, East Coast Africa, west Indian Ocean, Feb 08 '06, hard mixed reef rocks/sand. Length: 2 inches. Photographer: Pasquale Pascullo.

Pasquale

pp@ppfotos.com

Pascullo, P., 2006 (Mar 9) Is this Nembrotha? climbing into a Tridacna. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16015

Dear Pasquale,
Probably not a good move for the nudibranch. When observing nudibranch behaviour it is hard not to give them human attributes, but I don't think they are big on risk assessment even if that is what it looked like.

This is a species I first called Nembrotha sp. 14, but later, against the advice of Bernard Picton, decided was most probably a colour form of Nembrotha milleri. Like Bernard, I still have my doubts. Untill someone has to compare the anatomy of the two 'species' we can't be sure.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Mar 9). Comment on Is this Nembrotha? climbing into a Tridacna by Pasquale Pascullo. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16015

Factsheet

Nembrotha milleri

Related messages

  1. Nembrotha milleri from Verde Island (Philippines).
    From: Vie Panyarachun, December 7, 2009
  2. Nembrotha from Pemba, Tanzania
    From: Andrew Sutton, April 4, 2008
  3. Nembrotha milleri in Raja Ampat, Indonesia
    From: Aaron Fink, March 6, 2007
  4. Nembrotha milleri from Sipadan, Malaysia
    From: Charles Rowe, July 21, 2006
  5. Nembrotha milleri with orange spots?
    From: Wilhelm van Zyl, May 10, 2006
  6. Nembrotha milleri from East Timor
    From: Nick Hobgood, February 23, 2006
  7. Nembrotha milleri with red spots
    From: Erwin Koehler, April 28, 2003
  8. Nembrotha milleri? from Indonesia
    From: Jim Bartlett, November 28, 2002
  9. Nembrotha milleri from Mauritius
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia, November 15, 2002
  10. Re: Nembrotha milleri & Nembrotha sp 14
    From: Bernard Picton, September 7, 2002
  11. Nembrotha milleri from Malaysia
    From: Richard Houghton, September 7, 2002
  12. Nembrotha milleri from Malaysia
    From: Kenneth, July 28, 2002
  13. Re: Nembrotha milleri & Nembrotha sp 14
    From: Dave Behrens, July 17, 2002
  14. Nembrotha milleri & Nembrotha sp 14
    From: Mary Jane Adams, July 14, 2002
  15. Nembrotha milleri feeding
    From: Erwin Koehler, June 12, 2002
  16. Nembrotha milleri from Western Australia
    From: Richard Hall, May 14, 2002
  17. Nembrotha milleri feeding
    From: Bernard Picton , May 13, 2002
  18. Nembrotha from East Africa
    From: Bernard Picton , May 13, 2002
  19. Nembrotha milleri? from Malaysia
    From: Paul Jambunathan, December 15, 2001
  20. Nembrotha milleri from the Solomon Ids
    From: Bruce Potter, December 3, 2001
  21. Nembrotha milleri from Solomon Ids
    From: Bruce Potter, April 7, 2001
  22. Nembrotha milleri from Solomon Ids
    From: Mary Jane Adams, August 2, 2000

Show factsheet and all related messages