Armina from South Africa

October 1, 2002
From: Valda Fraser


Dear Bill,
A friend at the Oceanographic Research Institute in Durban knows of my love of nudibranchs and called to tell me about some horrid beasts that had eaten all five sea pens (Virgularia sp.) that were being carefully nurtured. The sea pens died one after the other, and only when the tank was cleaned out, were the culprits found in the sand – alive and probably hungry! No one ever noticed the arminids feeding on the sea pens, so it seems that these animals are able to live permanently in the sand. Can you help with identification?
I am sending two images to illustrate colour variation. I especially chose the one photo as the animal has a “piece” missing.

Locality: Specimens taken off Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 25m
Date: August 2002
Size: About 15 mm

Regards
Valda Fraser

valdafraser@mweb.co.za

Fraser, V., 2002 (Oct 1) Armina from South Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7814

Dear Valda,
This is definitely a species of Armina, and eating sea pens is what they do. Species tend to be nocturnal so it is possible they did their damage after the people at the Oceanographic Institute had gone home for the night. I'm afraid the few species of Armina reported from South Africa were described from preserved animals so a name is not possible at present.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Oct 1). Comment on Armina from South Africa by Valda Fraser. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7814

Factsheet

Unidentified - South Africa

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