Asteronotus cespitosus?

November 16, 2002
From: Ginette Allard

We send you a photo from a small island near Manado. The photographer is Annie Bigot. We took this photo when snorkeling at night (6pm) This "Pleurobranchus" was near the sea shore, 2 meters deep on a sandy flat place beetween a few stony corals. It seemed not to like our lights very much. Could you please identify it and send us your answer ?

Location: Siladen Island, near Manado, Indonesia. (at 6pm - night) near the sea
Size : 20cm
color : very dark red

Nothing special on the mantle except the 2 rhinophores (retracted on the photo). We are from France and we did a training session in Siladen in July 2002 (2 weeks). Could you please help us identify it?
Best wishes,
Ginette

gigiallard@aol.com

Allard, G., 2002 (Nov 16) Asteronotus cespitosus?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8398

Dear Ginette,
The rhinophores contracting into their own pockets is a sure sign this is a nudibranch not a pleurobranch, although Pleurobranchus forskalii and Pleurobranchus grandis can both have dark brown colour forms like this. In fact Bernard Picton, in an earlier message noted the similarity of this animal to a pleurobranch. At present I have this animal identified on the Forum as a colour form of Asteronotus cespitosus but I can't say I am 100% convinced. [See message 1, message 2].
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Nov 16). Comment on Asteronotus cespitosus? by Ginette Allard. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8398

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Asteronotus cespitosus

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