Funny nudibranch from Colombia
June 3, 2001
From: Elianny Domínguez
Dear Bill,
This is the first nudibranch I´ve seen that can move it´s cerata constantly from left to right, like a little clock machine.
We found it under a rock without any fauna or flora associated (supralitoral), and has 3cm of lenght. [found on rocky bottom, Bay of Chengue, Tayrona National Park, Santa Marta, Colombia - Caribbean coast]
Do you have any information on this behavior?
Or the species?
Kind regards,
Elianny Domínguez.
elicelotte@latinmail.com
Domínguez, E., 2001 (Jun 3) Funny nudibranch from Colombia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4426Dear Elianny,
This is almost certainly Limenandra nodosa which is also found in the Indo-West Pacific. I can't see the characteristic rings on the back in your photo. Have a look at my photos at the top of the page. Did your animal look like that? I am glad to read of your description of the cerata moving like clockwork. As I have described at the top of the page this is to me the most fascinating character of this species. Whenever I see it jerking along as it waves its cerata in unison I have to call people over and show them. I don't know why it does it, I don't know why no-one else has mentioned this behaviour in publications, but it certainly links your animal from the Carribbean with the ones I have seen in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
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