Tambja stegosauriformis
Pola, Cervera & Gosliner, 2005

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Nembrothinae

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from Brazil

PHOTO

Rasas island, Guarapari, Espirito Santo, Brazil. Depth: 14 -15 m. Length: About 20 mm.13 March 2005. Rocky botton near to the edge of island's wall and sand botton. Photographer: Ivan Pierozzi Jr

Tambja stegosauriformis is yellow to orange ground colour and scattered bluish tubercles of varying sizes, some being quite large and raised. There are a series of thubercles forming a distinctive crest  down the dorsal midline behind the gills, which give the species its name. The colour of the tubercles can be quite complex range, in some specimens the central region is dark grey-green with an outer light blue ring edged with a thin black line. The gills and rhinophores are also a uniform darl brownish, or greenish grey colour and the gill pocket is edged in blue and black lines. The mantle edge is absent, except at the anterior end where there are two distinctive lobes, flanking the rhinophores. The oral tentacles form distinctive flattened lappets, which are coloured with blue and brown bands. The edge of the foot is also bordered with bands of brown, blue and black. The two largest specimens recorded are 40, 50 mm preserved.

The internal anatomy is typical of the genus Tambja. This species has many similarities in colour and anatomy to Nembrotha gratiosa Bergh which was described from the Gulf of Mexico. See separate discussion [message #14292 ]

Note: This species was formerly known on the Forum as Tambja sp. 7

• Pola, M.., Cervera, J.L. & Gosliner, T.M. (2005) A new species of Tambja (Nudibranchia: Polyceridae: Nembrothinae) from southern Brazil. Journal of the  Marine Biological Association, U.K., 85: 979 - 984

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