Phestilla melanobrachia from the Solomon Ids

July 21, 2004
From: Bruce Potter

Dear Bill,
It was with great delight that I have observed the forum to be active again. I understand it will be in a reduced form temporarily, but even that is great.
I found the attached nudibranch on a night dive in May of this year on the site called Bonegi 2, just outside of Honiara, Solomon Islands. It was amongst the rubble at 12 meters. It was about 15mm long. I have not been able to find it in any of my books.
Can you help?
Regards
Bruce Potter

bac@solomon.com.sb

Potter, B., 2004 (Jul 21) Phestilla melanobrachia from the Solomon Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12694

Dear Bruce,
Glad to be operating again - if at reduced capacity. This is the coral-eating aeolid Phestilla melanobrachia. As you will see from the Fact Sheet and my other comments this species comes in an orange and a black form and each form feeds on a similarly coloured form of the coral Tubastrea. From the close-up of part of your photo alongside you can see that there are orange markings on the body of this black animal, the black being confined to the digestive gland within the cerata. What we don't know is whether the color of the slugs is totally dependent on the colour of the coral they are eating. That is would a black Phestilla turn orange if it was feeding on an orange form of the coral?
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Jul 21). Comment on Phestilla melanobrachia from the Solomon Ids by Bruce Potter. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12694

Factsheet

Phestilla melanobrachia

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