Aldisa trimaculata
Gosliner in Millen & Gosliner, 1985

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Aldisidae

DISTRIBUTION

Known from both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean coasts of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.

PHOTO

Brazenhead, Eastern Cape, 25 m, South Africa, July 2001. Size: 2.5cm Photo: Valda Fraser.

Characterised by three brown spots. Although the size of the spots can vary their placing seems to be constant in the specimens that have been studied. Little is known of its natural history other than that it has been found in association with an unidentified white sponge. It grows to at least 25mm long.

Reference: Millen, S.V. & Gosliner, T.M. (1985) Four new species of dorid nudibranchs belonging to the genus Aldisa (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia), with a revision of the genus. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 84: 195-233. (Figs 1-21.)

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (August 1) Aldisa trimaculata Gosliner in Millen & Gosliner, 1985. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/alditrim

Related messages


Re: Aldisa trimaculata from Sth Africa

August 8, 2001
From: Terry Gosliner

Dear Bill,
It is great to see that Valda has found Aldisa trimaculata. This is the first record of it since the original description and interestingly the first record on the Indian Ocean coast. I suspected incorrectly that it was an Atlantic endemic. This is clearly not the case.
Terry

tgosline@calacademy.org

Gosliner, T., 2001 (Aug 8) Re: Aldisa trimaculata from Sth Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5026

Dear Terry,
Thanks for confirming my identification. It is indeed an interesting find.
Bill Rudman

Aldisa trimaculata from Sth Africa

August 5, 2001
From: Valda Fraser

Dear Bill,

I found this "new" nudibranch and hope you will be able to identify it.

Locality: Brazenhead, Eastern Cape, 25 m, Sth Africa
Date: July 2001
Size: 2.5cm

Thanks,
Valda Fraser

valdafraser@mweb.co.za

Fraser, V., 2001 (Aug 5) Aldisa trimaculata from Sth Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4858

Dear Valda,
I am pretty sure this is Aldisa trimaculata. Perhaps Terry Gosliner can confirm this for us.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Aug 5). Comment on Aldisa trimaculata from Sth Africa by Valda Fraser. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4858