Amazing dorid from Kerama Id
February 12, 2000
From: Atsushi Ono
Dear Bill,
Thank you for ID of Colpodaspis thompsoni. And thank you Dr.Clay Carlson for ID of Ventomnestia villica.
Here are beautiful, strange dorid species.
I found this species 3 individuals on a reef at about 5m depth [at Kerama Is. near Okinawa in Japan]. These photos are of the same individual, 13mm long. The smallest, probably a juvenile, was 4mm long.
This species has a soft body, a rise in the back like a embankment. I'm sorry I can't write this complicated body shape accurately in English.
I think this is DORIDACEA species.
Could you help me to identify this?
Sincerely,
Atsushi Ono
ononini@cosmos.ne.jp
Ono, A., 2000 (Feb 12) Amazing dorid from Kerama Id. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1857
Dear Atsushi,
What an interesting looking animal. I've included your photo of the small 4mm specimen here. Yes it is a dorid, but I can't say much more. In shape it looks to me quite like an Actinocyclus or Hallaxa with its 'goblet-shaped' cluster of gills. The patterning on its mantle suggest its mimicking a sponge.
If it does belong to one of those genera, perhaps Terry Gosliner, who has reviewed Hallaxa has some ideas.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
Related messages
-
Atsushi's Doris sp.8? is Hallaxa
From: Clay Carlson, February 14, 2000
