White Notodoris citrina from South Africa ?

October 2, 2009
From: Colin Ogden

Concerning message #22553:

Hi Bill,
I attach a photo of a plain white Notodoris. At first we thought this was an albino form of the N. citrina, but we have now found this nudi on at least 15 occasions on different reefs, and every one is white. As in the citrina the juveniles also have black rhinopores. Could this be a colour form of the N. citrina or a different Notodoris.

Locality: Sodwana Bay, 22 metres, South Africa, Indian, oct 2007, coral reef. Length: 50 mm. Photographer: Colin Ogden.

regards
Colin

scubaco@iafrica.com

Ogden, C., 2009 (Oct 2) White Notodoris citrina from South Africa ?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22675

Dear Colin,

This is an interesting find. It is possibly an 'albino' form of one of the known species, but if so the general shape is more similar to N. gardineri and N. serenae than to N. citrina. As to the black in the rhinophores, it seems from photos on the Forum that the juveniles of all species, other than N. serenae, can have rhinophores with black pigmentation.

Fahey & Gosliner (2004) have proposed that species of Notodoris are just oversized species of Aegires so I have had a look at a white species of Aegires which they described from temperate South Africa, A. ninguis, but that clearly is different.

At present I think it is probably an unnamed species which we should distinguish as Notodoris sp. 2. I would be interested in some more photos of it. If you have photos of smaller animals and /or animals on their food sponge they would be especially welcome

  • Fahey, S. J. & Gosliner, T. M. (2004) A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Aegiridae Fischer, 1883 (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Phanerobranchia) with Descriptions of Eight New Species and a Reassessment of Phanerobranch Relationships. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 55, (34): 613 - 689, 82 figs., 4 tables (Appendix).

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2009 (Oct 2). Comment on White Notodoris citrina from South Africa ? by Colin Ogden. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22675

Factsheet

Notodoris sp. 2

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  1. Re: White Notodoris citrina from South Africa ?
    From: Colin Ogden, October 6, 2009

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