Noumea? from American Samoa

January 26, 2001
From: Don Barclay

Hello Bill,

Here are some pics of a small nudibranch I found on 18 January 2001. It looks closest to the photos of Noumea simplex, except for the reddish-orange border. You commented on Valda Fraser's Noumea cf. sudanica that N. simplex may have red streaks but never a complete border, so perhaps this is something different. The rhinophore (it apparently lost one) is red tipped, as are the gills.

The nudibranch was found on a "hot pink" or magenta sponge, and had eaten a notch in it several millimeters deep. I didn't have the camera with me so I didn't get a photo of the sponge, though I did mark its location. The slug wasn't particularly well camouflaged, as the sponge was quite a bit darker in color.

It was collected in approximately one meter of water under a lava boulder an hour after high tide, just south of the "Tank Farm" on the reef flat, Utulei village, American Samoa. It was about 20mm long, outstretched.

Looking forward to your opinion, many thanks,
Don

n5ols@samoatelco.com

Barclay, D., 2001 (Jan 26) Noumea? from American Samoa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3581

Dear Don,
I did indeed say Noumea simplex doesn't have a continuous mantle border, but I am pretty sure you have proved me wrong. In all other features it is N. simplex. Even the border has the look of elongate patches merging with each other rather than a complete single line. It is an interesting find.
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Jan 26). Comment on Noumea? from American Samoa by Don Barclay. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3581

Factsheet

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