Why the white on Nembrotha kubaryana?

February 21, 2006
From: Kristin Anderson

Here's another photo of some Nembrotha kubaryana. When I first saw this guy's head I thought maybe a predator had gotten to him, but when I took the time to look at his gills I started to wonder why this one has all this white. I haven't seen another with this detail.

As you can infer, these guys are plentiful (and it looks like more on the way!) here.

Locality: Lighthouse Bay, 13m, Western Australia, Indian Ocean, Ningaloo Reef, 04 January 2006, hard coral & limestone reef. Length: 3-5cms. Photographer: Kristin Anderson.

Kristin Anderson

kristin@OceansByAnderson.com

Anderson, K.J., 2006 (Feb 21) Why the white on Nembrotha kubaryana?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15894

Dear Kristin,
It's possible the one with all the white is just a colour variation, but I suspect the white is from defensive secretions. Species of Nembrotha, and related genera, have small glands arranged in the skin, which exude pigmented secretions which are usually white or yellow. In most species the longitudinal colour bands down the body hide deep grooves which contain lines of these glands. Also the gills have these glands along the edge of the branches and lamellae.

Perhaps this animal is feeling harassed by the other two, since they seem to all be fighting over the same stalked ascidian.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Feb 21). Comment on Why the white on Nembrotha kubaryana? by Kristin Anderson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15894

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