First Dendrodoris behrensi in Los Angeles?

January 18, 2007
From: Scott Gietler

This is the first instance that I know of, of a Dendrodoris behrensi being found in Los Angeles county, not counting the channel islands.

Marineland has produced at least 30 species of nudibranchs, and it never disappoints. Jen Tople found this nudie on a dive yesterday, and several of us quickly photographed it.

It was quite small, and we weren't sure what it was until we looked at the photographs later. It was crawling up a rocky pinnacle at 30 ft depth.

Locality: Marineland, Palos Verdes, 30 feet, CA, USA, Pacific Ocean, 8 January 2007, on the wall of a rocky pinnacle. Length: 1 inch. Photographer: Scott Gietler.

Scott

sgietler@yahoo.com

Gietler, Scott, 2007 (Jan 18) First Dendrodoris behrensi in Los Angeles?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19202

Hi scott,

Wow so much chatter about this species lately. Fantastic. It had gone unnoticed for so long, and know with a little PR, lots of folks are finding it. Those of you who are interested should go to Mike Miller's Slug Site for this weeks Branch of the Week  (BOW) to learn a little about this species larval development and see some really great microscopic photos of developing eggs, embryos and juveniles, taken by Jeff Goddard.

Over the years, several of us have collected many specimens all up and down the southern California coast. Presently this species has been documented from Carmel, Monterey County, California to the north all the way south to Islas Guadalupe and San Benitos, Baja California, Mexico. Although occurring subtidally, like your photo here, it is also found in the intertidal in rubble.

Best wishes,
Dave Behrens

Behrens, D.W., 2007 (Jan 18). Comment on First Dendrodoris behrensi in Los Angeles? by Scott Gietler. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19202

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