Haminoea antillarum(?) from Bahamas

March 8, 2004
From: Marina Poddubetskaia


Dear Bill,
While I was in the Southern Bahamas with Anne DuPont, we looked for Haminoea on sandy shallow bottoms. We found several empty shells, but not any living animal, even during the night dive.

One week later I was in the Northern Bahamas and it was a great surprise to find this Haminoea in a deep dive on the seaweed far away from the sand ! It's just the opposite of what I was expecting !

The only one Caribbean Haminoea I know is Haminoea antillarum. Do you think my animal could be this species ? The second photo is the ventral view of this animal.
The collected specimen will be analysed by Manuel Malaquias. I'm collaborating with him for Bulla and Haminoea. So, I hope one day we will be sure about this ID.

Date: February 11, 2004
Location: Bimini Islands, Bahamas, Western Atlantic
Site: Bull Run (The shark dive !)
Depth: 17m
Size: 10-12mm
Photos: Marina Poddubetskaia - Nembro website

Cordially,
Marina.

nembro@nembro.info

Poddubetskaia, M., 2004 (Mar 8) Haminoea antillarum(?) from Bahamas. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12353

Dear Marina,
As Manuel will tell you, most species of Haminoea have been described from empty shells. If ornithologists described birds just from their bones without any knowledge of their shape or the colour of their feathers, we would think they were rather silly. But that is exactly what has happened with the cephalaspidean bubble shells - there skeleton [the shell] has been described but we know nothing of their animal. There are a number of species of Haminoea described from the Caribbean, but what they look like alive has still to be described. When Manuel identifies this animal be sure to let me know. I will keep your message on the H. antillarum page, but I can't guarantee the identification.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Mar 8). Comment on Haminoea antillarum(?) from Bahamas by Marina Poddubetskaia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12353

Factsheet

Haminoea antillarum

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