Mystery from Holland

June 2, 1999
From: Xavier Merlin

Hello,

I have no idea how to identify nudibranches. Last week I saw a beautiful nudibranch, pink in color with lots of yellow cerata. It was rather small, about 1 to 2 centimeters and oval in shape. I have never seen this nudibranch before. The dive site is at the "oosterschelde" which is an estuary of the North Sea in Holland. Such colour combination is quite unusual here. It looked like an exotic species to me.

Please give me some visual clues as to positively identify this beauty.

Thanks,
Xavier Merlin

xavier.merlin@ping.be

Merlin, X., 1999 (Jun 2) Mystery from Holland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/905

Dear Xavier,
I think I am the one that needs some visual clues. I think I need a bit more information to visualise your animal. If it's not native to your region then it could conceivably be from any temperate region of the world. Your mention of cerata means you probably have an aeolid, but there are other opisthobranchs with cerata-like extensions on their bodies.

For example there are herbivorous sacoglossans like Costasiella and Stiliger.

Amongst the nudibranchs there are goniodorids, such as Hopkinsia and zephyrinids, such as Janolus, as well as the very diverse aeolids.

It would be best if you could send me a photo or even a drawing of the animal so that we had some idea of what we were making a guess about. If you have access to scanning facilities send me a scan or else post me a picture. I will return any photos.

Sorry I can't be of more help without more information,
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 1999 (Jun 2). Comment on Mystery from Holland by Xavier Merlin. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/905

Factsheet

Flabellina pedata

Related messages

  1. Curious specimen of Flabellina pedata
    From: Miquel Pontes, March 26, 2008
  2. Juvenile Flabellina ischitana vs F. pedata
    From: Dominique Horst, May 30, 2007
  3. Flabellina pedata from Sweden
    From: Bjarke Neidel, March 30, 2007
  4. Flabellina pedata with abnormality
    From: Dominique Horst, March 30, 2007
  5. Flabellina pedata from Turkey
    From: Ferda Buyukbaykal, August 19, 2003
  6. Flabellina pedata from French Atlantic
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia, June 26, 2003
  7. Flabellina pedata from French Brittany
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia, September 4, 2002
  8. Deformed Flabellina pedata
    From: Erwin Koehler, August 8, 2002
  9. Flabellina pedata from the Mediterranean
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia, August 7, 2002
  10. Flabellina pedata? from French Mediterranean
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia, June 29, 2002
  11. Flabellina pedata and others? from Turkey (1)
    From: Baki Yokes, October 27, 2001
  12. Flabellina pedata? from Spain
    From: Erwin Koehler, June 14, 2000
  13. More photos of Flabellina pedata from Holland
    From: Peter H. van Bragt, August 12, 1999
  14. Flabellina pedata from Holland
    From: Peter H. van Bragt, June 18, 1999
  15. Re: Mystery from Holland
    From: Xavier Merlin, June 16, 1999
  16. Re: Mystery from Holland
    From: Xavier Merlin, June 10, 1999
  17. Re: Mystery from Holland
    From: Peter H. van Bragt, June 9, 1999
  18. Re: Mystery from Holland
    From: xavier merlin, June 8, 1999
  19. Re: Mystery from Holland
    From: Xavier Merlin, June 3, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages