Okenia amoenula? from South Africa
January 8, 2002
From: Valda Fraser
Dear Bill,
Recently this really beautiful one and a couple of friends have been living in "my pool". Do you have a name for me? Thanks.
Locality: Pumula, south coast KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, intertidal zone
Date: December 2001
Size: 15 mm
Regards
Valda Fraser
valdafraser@mweb.co.za
Fraser,V., 2002 (Jan 8) Okenia amoenula? from South Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5842
Dear Valda,
My feeling is that this is a form of Okenia amoenula, but I could be wrong. Alongside I have posted a copy of the illustration which accompanied Bergh's original description and there is a photo in Terry Gosliner's (1984) book. O. amoenula is only reported from the Cape Province so your animal is a bit outside the known geographic range. It also lacks the red markings on the back in typical specimens. So I guess until more is known about the colour variation etc of your animal its identity will remain a mystery.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
