Hermaea? from Okinawa, Japan.

May 24, 2005
From: Hikaru Nakada

Hello!
Can you please give me the name of this slug. I took the photo at Osaki. (Ishigaki Is. Okinawa,  Japan)

Locality: Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan. Depth: 35 meters. Length: 20 mm. 22 April 2005. Sand. Photographer: Hikaru Nakada

Hikaru Nakada.

divernk@m1.cosmos.ne.jp

Nakada, H., 2005 (May 24) Hermaea? from Okinawa, Japan.. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13730

Dear Hikaru,
Although this looks like a colourful aeolid nudibranch. it is in fact a sacoglossan sea slug. If you look at the head, there are only one set of tentacles - the rhinophores - and the eyes are half way between the rhinophores and the cerata. Sacoglossans are often green, taking on the colour of the plants (sea weeds) that they feed on. I think your animal has lost many of its cerata.

It look quite like Hermaea variopicta, but that is a species from the Atlantic. I have a feeling I have seen this species before but I can't find a name for it. Hopefully someone will recognise it for us.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (May 24). Comment on Hermaea? from Okinawa, Japan. by Hikaru Nakada. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13730

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Aplysiopsis sp. 1

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