Noumea sudanica
Rudman, 1985
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Chromodorididae
DISTRIBUTION
Known only from the Red Sea.
PHOTO
Suakin, Sudan, Red Sea, April 1980, 12mm long alive. Holotype. PHOTO: Chris Todd.
This species is only known from one specimen. It is white with a thin yellow mantle border and scattered yellowish patches on the mantle. The rhinophores are translucent colourless with the edges of the lamellae opaque white. The gills are also translucent white. The radular teeth and reproductive system are typical of the genus Noumea. Until further specimens are available we won't know if this species has much colour variation.
See Noumea cf. sudanica.
Reference:
• Rudman, W.B. (1985) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris aureomarginata, C. verrieri and C. fidelis colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 83: 241-299.
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (May 8) Noumea sudanica Rudman, 1985. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/noumsuda
Related messages
Re: Noumea sudanica and food sponge from Egypt
January 7, 2003
From: Jason Bell
Bill,
Concerning your comments on my earlier message. Here is some futher information on location of the Noumea sudanica. Diving on the house reef at Red Sea Diving Safari in Marsa Alam. I found at least 3 or 4 on each sponge at depth of 6 meters at an approx. time of 7pm in the middle of July. Overall, I believe their was 50 or so specimens in a 10 meter area.
I hope this information helps anyone who may want to study them further.
Jason
belljason@hotmail.com
Thanks Jason,
Bill Rudman
Noumea sudanica and food sponge from Egypt
January 4, 2003
From: Jason Bell
Bill,
I found these nudibranchs (approx 10mm long) on several different green sponges in Marsa Alam, Red Sea,, Egypt. Using H. Debelius' field guide, The red one is Chromodoris tinctoria and I believe the white ones are C. verrieri. Can you please verify the ID.
Thanks,
Jason Bell
Belljason@hotmail.com
Bell, J., 2003 (Jan 4) Noumea sudanica and food sponge from Egypt. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8813Dear Jason,
This is an interesting find on two counts. Firstly the white animal is Noumea sudanica which you will see from other messages on the page is a species we know little about and is only known from the Red Sea. Any information on it is very useful. Secondly it looks like both species are feeding on this sponge, which is a useful bit of information. I have copied you message on to the Chromodoris tinctoria page, with some closeups of the sponge, as a cross-reference.
Externally, Noumea sudanica can be distinguished by the darker pits, sometimes yellowish, scattered over the white mantle, and yellow mantle margin, and the translucent white gills and rhinophores which are edged in white. Like a number of species of Noumea, the mantle, when the animal is at rest, forms a rounded lobe midway down each side of the body.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: Noumea sudanica
December 24, 2000
From: Gordon T. Smith
Dear Bill,
The example I photographed (1997) was in Sharm Obhur the creek north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Red Sea). Depth was around 6-10 metres, around the month of May on a night dive. There were several examples of this 'branch, most of them much smaller. A Nikonos with 2:1 tubes would have been most helpful.
I hope the above information is of some help
Best Regards
Gordon
aquashot@emirates.net.ae
Smith, G.T., 2000 (Dec 24) Re: Noumea sudanica. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3430Thanks Gordon,
Many of the photos sent in to the Forum are very useful as locality records of species we seldom see, so a bit of collection information can give the photo great scientific value.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
A record of Noumea sudanica
December 23, 2000
From: Gordon T. Smith
Dear Bill,
I am reviewing and scanning more slides for my updated site which I hope to be ready by 1 Jan 2001.
I came across this Chromodoris, possibly C. verrieri. It was approximately 2 cm long with other smaller examples in the vicinity. Depth found at was approximately 6 metres.
Regards
Gordon T. Smith
aquashot@emirates.net.ae
Smith, G.T., 2000 (Dec 23) A record of Noumea sudanica. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3403Dear Gordon,
Could you give me some locality details and a date please? Oman perhaps? It's an interesting find. The species is almost certainly Noumea sudanica which I described in 1985 from a single specimen collected at Suakin, on the Sudanese Red Sea. It's nice to get another record and another photo.
I look forward to your updated site,
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
