Sea Slug from Red Sea

March 5, 2003
From: Aline Flemming

I saw a slug in the Red Sea, 22 Feb 2003. Until now I can't find it's name. I have looked in the Forum but as I don't know the name it is not easy to find. I hope you can help me.

6-7cm long small black body with orange fine line round the body and also his eyes. From the edge of the body small yello/citron colour lines of 1 cm, all over the body.

We were diving round Hurgharda at Sharm el Naga round 10-15 m and he was sitting on coral. (water temp 22 C)

Aline Flemming
Holland

aflemming@hydron-mn.nl

Flemming, A. , 2003 (Mar 5) Sea Slug from Red Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9337

Dear Aline,
One of the problems with the Forum is the difficulty in searching through all the species for identifications. We are in the process of developing a couple of identification keys which should help that problem.

Concerning your animal. It is quite difficult to identify even the most common species without a photo or drawing. There is also the possibility your animal was not a sea slug but perhaps a Flatworm, many of which are quite brilliantly coloured. The only sea slug I can think of with the colours you describe, and which would grow to 6-7cm would be Reticulidia halgerda, but that species is at present only known from the western Pacific. That is not to say it might not also occur in the Red Sea, but we would need at least a photo to confirm it. One observation of yours that suggests your animal was a phyllidiid [which is the family Reticulidia belongs to] is your observation that it was sitting on a coral. The phyllidiids, presumably because of the distasteful chemicals they exude from their skin are one of the few groups of nudibranchs that are found sitting out in the open during the day.

However without a photo I can only really guess at what you found
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Mar 5). Comment on Sea Slug from Red Sea by Aline Flemming . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9337

Factsheet

Flatworms

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