Dolabrifera dolabrifera from Little Cayman Island

January 29, 2005
From: Kathryn Dickson

Hello Dr. Rudman
I discovered this nudibranch while snorkelling in Preston Bay, Little Cayman Island, in early December 2004. It was creamy in colour to very pale greenish, and the body was covered with ruffles. From the shape of its head I would have guessed that it belongs in the "sea hare" group, or perhaps a "doris", but I wasn't able to find it in Humann's field guide. I have looked through many of the photos posted on the sea slug forum, but didn't find anything at all similar. Can you help?

Locality: Preston Bay, Little Cayman Island, British Cayman Islands, Caribbean Sea. Depth: 2 feet. Length: 3-4 inches. early December 2004. very shallow protected inner reef. Photographer: Kathryn Dickson.

Thanks
Kathryn Dickson

Kathy.Dickson@ec.gc.ca

Dickson, Kathryn M., 2005 (Jan 29) Dolabrifera dolabrifera from Little Cayman Island. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12940

Dear Kathy,

This is a Sea Hare. I have added a close-up of the head which shows the characteristic features [see Sea Hare head Fact Sheet]. I am pretty sure this is a very white form of Dolabrifera dolabrifera. Usually this species has more green or brown colouration, but its colour is very bariable and its colour on the whole matches the background colour of its environment. Interestingly the larger Sea Hare, Aplysia dactylomela, often appears to be much whiter in the Caribbean than in the Indo-West Pacific. Perhaps the white coral sand is a more influential environmental factor in the Caribbean.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Jan 29). Comment on Dolabrifera dolabrifera from Little Cayman Island by Kathryn Dickson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12940

Factsheet

Dolabrifera dolabrifera

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