Flabellina delicata
Gosliner & Willan, 1991

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Flabellinidae

DISTRIBUTION

Indo-West Pacific [Natal, South Africa; Papua New Guinea; Okinawa, Japan]

PHOTO

Zamami Island, Okinawa Island group, Japan. 26 May, 2002; Length: 20mm. Depth: 20m. Photo: Nishina Masayoshi

One of a group of species of Flabellina with papillae on the posterior side of the rhinophores. The background color of the body is a translucent pinkish red or purple, deeper in some animals than others. The oral tentacles are the same colour with a reddish colour at the tips. The rhinophores are a translucent orange or red, the colour deepening in the papillate part of the rhinophores. The basal two-thirds of the cerata are either translucent white or dusted with white, and the duct of the digestive gland is opaque white. There is sometimes a distinctive opaque whitish band around the cerata at the upper edge of the white region of each ceras. Above the white band there is another translucent region, then a band of golden-yellow or orange. This yellow/orange region seems to be caused by the swollen tip of the digestive gland duct rather than epithelial pigmentation on the ceratal wall. Above this there is a subapical transverse ring of dark translucent purple. The ceratal tip is translucent white. The rhinophores are elongate and slender with approximately 30 well-separated papillae on their posterior surface. The living animals are 15-20mm in length.

References:
• Gosliner, T. (1987) i>Nudibranchs of Southern Africa. A Guide to the Opisthobranch Molluscs of Southern Africa. Sea Challengers / Jeff Hamann: Tokyo. 136pp.
• Gosliner, T.M. & Willan, R.C. (1991) Review of the Flabellinidae (Nudibranchia: Aeolidacea) from the tropical Indo-Pacific, with the descriptions of five new species. The Veliger, 34(2): 97-133.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (March 16) Flabellina delicata Gosliner & Willan, 1991. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/flabdeli

Related messages


Re: Flabellina delicata's rhinophore

March 19, 2003
From: Nishina Masayoshi

Dear Bill,
Following your comments, I have attached a close-up of the rhinophore of my animal. I hope this will be help.

Best Regards,
Nishina Masayoshi

nishina@wips.co.jp

Thanks Nishina,
We can clearly see the papillate rhinophores now.
best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Re: Aeolid from Japan

March 18, 2003
From: Nishina Masayoshi

Dear Bill,
The recent posting by Hikaru Nakada is probably Flabellina delicata Gosliner & Willan, 1991.

Location: Zamami Island, Okinawa Island group, Japan.
Date: 26 May, 2002
Length: 20mm
depth: 20m
water temp: 25C degree

Best Regards,
Nishina Masayoshi

nishina@wips.co.jp

Masayoshi, N., 2003 (Mar 18) Re: Aeolid from Japan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9428

Dear Nishina,
Thanks for the identification and the photo. Terry Gosliner has also reminded me of this species.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Re: Aeolid from Japan

March 18, 2003
From: Terry Gosliner

Hi Bill,
The recent posting by Hikaru Nakada sure looks like Flabellina delicata that I described with Richard Willan.
Terry

Gosliner, T. , 2003 (Mar 18) Re: Aeolid from Japan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9431

Thanks Terry,
Now I remember where I saw it - in your South African book. The photo in Gosliner & Willan (1991) is of a paler colour form, and I'm afraid I couldn't see the papillate rhinophores in Hikaru's photo. Things get lost forever on the unidentified pages so its great to be able to give this species 'a home' after only one day.

Atsushi Ono's photo, on Bob Bolland's website, shows a colour form from Kerama Id, in which the rhinophoral papillae can be seen very clearly.
Cheers,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Mar 18). Comment on Re: Aeolid from Japan by Terry Gosliner . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9431

Aeolid from Japan

March 17, 2003
From: Hikaru Nakada

Hello Bill,
Can you help me identify this species for me please.

Locality: Okinawa Is. Japan
Divesite: "Seragaki Beach"
Size: 20mm
Depth: 3m,
Date: Jan. 2003.

Hikaru Nakada

divernk@m1.cosmos.ne.jp

Nakada, H., 2003 (Mar 17) Aeolid from Japan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9361

Dear Hikaru,
I have the feeling that I have seen this aeolid somewhere, but I can't find a name for it. If anyone can help us, I would be most grateful.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Mar 17). Comment on Aeolid from Japan by Hikaru Nakada. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9361