Nembrotha sp. 12
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Nembrothinae
PHOTO
Hluleka, Transkei, SOUTH AFRICA. 18m, June 2000. Size: 60mm. Photo: Valda Fraser.
See message below
Authorship detailsRudman, W.B., 2000 (July 23) Nembrotha sp. 12 [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/nembsp12
Related messages
Re: Nembrotha and Tunicate from the Philippines
February 15, 2003
From: Erwin Köhler
Dear Bill,
Re: recent message. Here is one more Nembrotha sp. 12 from the Philippines, Negros Oriental Island, divesite "Sara's Reef" taken by Georg Heinze [Georg.Heinze@t-online.de]
Size: 32 mm
Depth: 16 m
Date: May 2002
Cheers,
Erwin
Erwin@medslugs.de
Köhler, E., 2003 (Feb 15) Re: Nembrotha and Tunicate from the Philippines. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9215Thanks Erwin,
Bill Rudman
Nembrotha and Tunicate from the Philippines
February 13, 2003
From: Peter H. van Bragt
Bill,
Enclosed are two slides of a very distinct Tunicate and a small Nudibranch that is feeding on it. They are from Sabang, in the Philippines. Can you help me with the identification of the Nudibranch? Do you possibly also know the name of the Tunicate on which the Nudibranch is feeding and is this prey specific for the slug?
Best regards,
Peter H. van Bragt
vanbragt.phjm@hsbrabant.nl
Dear Peter,
I guess you found the Philippines a bit warmer than the Netherlands?
Your little animal is quite interesting. It does not fit any of the other named or unnamed 'red-spotted species' I know of except for Nembrotha sp. 12 from South Africa, both animals having a bluish edge to the foot. Concerning the identity of the tunicate [ascidian], it looks identical to one identified as Sycozoa sp. in Gosliner, Behrens & Williams (1996) Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific [#1067], a species they say is only known from the Philippines. This ascidian grows to about 25cm in height which would suggest your animal is 10-15mm long?
Basically I don't know how big your animal grows, whether it feeds specifically on this ascidian or not. As the ascidian is apparently not well known either I can't say whether it is likely to occur in South Africa either. It is an interesting find, but like so many such observations, it raises more questions than it answers.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Nembrotha sp? from South Africa
July 24, 2000
From: Valda Fraser
Dear Bill
Help! Who is this beauty? Many thanks.
Locality: Hluleka, Transkei, SOUTH AFRICA - 18m
Date: June 2000
Size: 60mm
Regards
Valda
iti04937@mweb.co.za
Fraser, V., 2000 (Jul 24) Nembrotha sp? from South Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2668Dear Valda,
It looks a bit like a gymnodorid but I am pretty sure it is a species of Nembrotha. However I do not know of one with this colour pattern.
It has similarities to Nembrotha guttata Yonow, 1993, which is black with mostly bright orange pustules. Some pustules are edged in green, and a very few are dark green. The foot has an orange edge and the rhinophores are black with orange dusting on anterior sides of lamellae. The gills are black with light green edging. I don't think your animal is Nembrotha guttata, but I thought you shuld be aware of it.
Reference: Yonow, N. (1993) Opisthobranchs from the Maldive Islands, including descriptions of seven new species (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Revue fr. Aquariol., 20: 97-130
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
