Nudibranchs from the Yellow Sea - Lophodoris sp?

June 29, 2006
From: Dong Bum Koh

Dear Bill,

Sea slugs from the Yellow Sea (between China & Korea) are not well-known either locally or worldwide because of the poor visibility & very strong currents, which means divers dilike diving there. However the fauna is very interesting to us.

Last weekend, a co-worker of mine was diving in theYellow Sea, and took several photos of nudibranchs, whicj I will post in separate messages. I think this animal is Cadlina sagamiensis.

Locality: Gogunsan islands, [Diving site : E 126°4' N 35°8'] 10m, Korea, Yellow Sea, 18 June 2006.  Length: unknown. Photographer: Sung Soon Choi.

Best regards.
Dong Bum Koh

drkoh@seasee.co.kr

Koh, D.B., 2006 (Jun 29) Nudibranchs from the Yellow Sea - Lophodoris sp?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16960

Dear Koh,
I wondered while looking at your book why the Yellow Sea coast was not represented. It will be interesting to see just what interesting animals turn up there.

I am pretty sure this animal, although similar in colour to Cadlina sagamiensis, is not that species. I suspect this is a goniodorid, perhaps a species of the genus Lophodoris. I can't be sure, but the rhinophores don't seem to have a pocket into which they can contract, and the head has a pair of flattened rounded lobes [lower left photo]. Also in the lower right photo I have included a closeup of part of the mantle skirt which shows bundles of spicules radiating out to the edge as in Lophodoris danielsseni.

Whatever it turns out to be it is an interesting find. If you have other photos of it, I would like to see them, as they may give us more clues to its identity. If this is a species of Lophodoris, I am pretty sure no other species has been reported from anywhere in the Pacific.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Jun 29). Comment on Nudibranchs from the Yellow Sea - Lophodoris sp? by Dong Bum Koh. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16960

Factsheet

Lophodoris? sp. 1

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