Adalaria jannae
Millen, 1987
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Onchidorididae
DISTRIBUTION
British Columbia to California
PHOTO
Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada. 35 feet, approx 1 cm long. Photo: Marli Wakeling.
Closely resembles, and previously mistaken for, Onchidoris muricata. It grows to 15mm but is usually about 7mm long. The notum has numerous stalked spiculate tubercles. They are rounded but sometimes slightly pointed. They are pale yellow or creamy white in the north of their range(Canada) and orange or lemon yellow in California. The brownish digestive gland and creamy gonad can be seen through the semi transparent mantle wall. In Canada it is often found on the blades of laminarian algae which are colonised by bryozoans of the genus Membranipora. However in California, orange coloured specimens have been reported feeding on the orange coloured bryozoan Lyrula hippocrepis intertidally, and yellow ones on Reginella mucronata.
Reference:
• Millen, S.V. (1987) The nudibranch genus Adalaria, with a description of a new species from the northeastern Pacific. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 65: 2696-2702.
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (February 25) Adalaria jannae Millen, 1987. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/adaljann
Related messages
Small Yellow Dorid from Monterey, California
September 9, 2005
From: Clinton Bauder
Hi Bill,
Not 100% sure of this one though Onchidoris muricata and Adalaria jannae seem likely candidates. Found this guy crawling on the Amphtrack wrecks off of Lovers Point in Monterey. Size is around 5-7mm at a depth of about 23 meters. The picture was taken by my friend Mike Jimenez.
Locality: off Lovers Point Monterey, California. Depth: 23 meters. Length: 5-7 mm. 8 July 2005. Algae covered wreck on a sandy bottom. Photographer: Mike Jimenez
Clinton
gecko1@apple.com
Bauder, C., 2005 (Sep 9) Small Yellow Dorid from Monterey, California. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14246Dear Clinton,
This group are quite difficult to separate from external characters. It certainly has much fewer rhinophore lamellae than found in Onchidoris muricata so my suggestion would be your second choice, Adalaria jannae, but I would like an expert ot confirm that.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Adalaria jannae from Monterey Bay, California
July 31, 2004
From: Seth Bushinsky
Hi,
I was wondering if someone could confirm this nudibranch as Adalaria jannae. It was found in Monterey Bay [California] at about 10 ft. It was eating the encrusting bryozoan shown on the inside of an abalone shell. Length is about 1 cm.
Thanks,
Seth
sethb@stanford.edu
Bushinsky, S., 2004 (Jul 31) Adalaria jannae from Monterey Bay, California. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12725
Thanks Seth,
I am sure someoen will confirm this is A. jannae which I understand is yellow or orange in the Calfornian part of its range. It's nice to get a photo of it on the bryozoan which I asume is either Lyrula hippocrepis or Reginella mucronata, two species it is reported to feed on in California.
If someone can confirm the identification of the nudibranch and identify the rather distinctive bryozoan I would be grateful
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
Adalaria jannae from British Columbia
March 5, 2001
From: Marli Wakeling
Dear Bill,
This is what I think is Adalaria jannae, found at 35 feet in Howe Sound, British Columbia [Canada]. The animal is quite small, about 1 cm. Perhaps someone can confirm it.
Marli
scubamarli@excite.com
Wakeling, M., 2001 (Mar 5) Adalaria jannae from British Columbia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3823Dear Marli,
It seems to fit the original description of Adalaria jannae but we will wait for Sandra Millen or another local expert to confirm it.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
