Juvenile Umbraculid? from North Sulawesi

October 8, 2008
From: Hösel, Heidi

Dear Dr. Rudman

This specimen was found during a night dive, at Jahir 1, a typical muck dive site in the Lembeh strait. I was puzzled by the skin colour and texture, with only small papillae. When I checked the records in your forum about Tylodina and Umbraculum species I found nothing comparable. Having regard to the species list, I now assume that this nudibranch with an approximate size of 8 cm is a juvenile form of Umbraculum umbraculum.
could you please help me to identify it?

Locality: Lembeh Strait , about 6m, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, w-Pacific, 17 August 2007, black sand. Length: 8cm. Photographer: Heidi Hösel.

Heidi Hösel

hhoesel@gmx.de

hösel, H., 2008 (Oct 8) Juvenile Umbraculid? from North Sulawesi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20904

Dear Heidi,

Yes this is Umbraculum umbraculum. They have a considerable range in colour from pale translucent whitish, through yellow, to bright orange. Often their are large whitish pustules but sometimes like your animal, the pustules are smaller and the same colour as the rest of the body. I suspect the colour of individuals is associated with the colour of the sponges they are feeding on, perhaps through the transfer of sponge pigments to the Umbraculum, but that is an idea, not a Fact!

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Oct 8). Comment on Juvenile Umbraculid? from North Sulawesi by Hösel, Heidi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20904

Factsheet

Umbraculum umbraculum

Related messages

  1. Not a volute or nudibranch?
    From: Mike Burnett, January 19, 2010
  2. Re: Old slug from Guyana
    From: Floris Bennema, December 23, 2009
  3. Old slug from Guyana
    From: Floris Bennema, November 25, 2009
  4. Re: Umbraculum laying eggs
    From: Leanne and David Atkinson, January 29, 2009
  5. Umbraculum umbraculum from New Zealand
    From: Kent Ericksen, December 8, 2006
  6. Umbraculum umbraculum from Reunion Island
    From: Hugues Flodrops, December 8, 2006
  7. Umbraculum from the Gold Coast, Queensland
    From: Ian Banks, May 12, 2006
  8. Umbraculum umbraculum feeding
    From: Leanne & David Atkinson, March 25, 2006
  9. Umbraculum umbraculum from Port Stephens
    From: Bruce Potter, March 10, 2006
  10. Re: An aquarium 'hitch-hiker'
    From: Unni Nair, November 18, 2005
  11. An aquarium 'hitch-hiker'
    From: Unni Nair, November 12, 2005
  12. Umbraculum umbraculum from New Zealand
    From: Trevor Edward Lochore, December 30, 2004
  13. Umbraculum umbraculum from Jervis Bay
    From: Sue Newson, November 27, 2003
  14. Umbraculum laying eggs
    From: Leanne & David Atkinson, April 10, 2003
  15. Umbraculum umbraculum from Lord Howe Island
    From: W.B. Rudman, January 21, 2003
  16. Umbraculum umbraculum from Indonesia
    From: Mary Jane Adams , January 6, 2003
  17. Umbraculum what?
    From: Valda Fraser, December 21, 2001
  18. Umbraculum from Sydney Harbour.
    From: George Evatt , July 4, 2001
  19. Umbraculum laying eggs in New South Wales
    From: Peggy Cable, March 11, 2001
  20. Anatomy of Umbraculum
    From: Bill Rudman, March 11, 2001
  21. Umbraculum umbraculum
    From: A.Lumnitzer & D.Piotrowska, June 11, 2000
  22. Re: Mystery from South Africa
    From: Johan Bresler, August 26, 1999
  23. Mystery from South Africa
    From: Johan Bresler, August 25, 1999
  24. Umbraculum from deep water off Australia
    From: Bill Rudman, March 25, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages