Janolus eximius from Poor Knights Islands, N.Z.
June 13, 2006
From: Ian Skipworth
Hi Bill
Here's Janolus eximius which I found yesterday at the Poor Knights.
Locality: Poor Knights Islands, 10m, nthn New Zealand, Pacific Ocean, 10 June 2006, Rocky reef. Length: 12mm. Photographer: Ian Skipworth.
To my knowledge, this is not a commonly seen species and this is the first time I've seen it.
It was moving quickly and crossed several substrates as I watched it.
Cheers
Ian
ianskip@xtra.co.nz
Skipworth, I.R., 2006 (Jun 13) Janolus eximius from Poor Knights Islands, N.Z.. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16855
Dear Ian,
Richard Willan, who wrote the Fact Sheet for this species, mentions that "Janolus eximius has never been found off its food – the large, clumping bryozoan Orthoscuticella aff. margaritacea" so your observations show that it can sometimes be a little adventurous. I suspect the reddish bushy growth, in the left of the photo alongside, is the bryozoan Richard is talking of.
Like Tritonia flemingi [message #16856] this is a valuable addition to our knowledge of another rarely found species.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
