Caldukia rubignosa from New Zealand

May 8, 1999
From: Ian Skipworth

Dear Bill

Here is an image of a nudibranch or slug of some type. This was taken by me at the Poor Knights Islands [northeastern New Zealand] about a year and a half ago. For a while I forgot about the picture but reviewed it recently and started to wonder what it might be.

The slug is rather small and I have had to crop the 35mm frame fairly severely. This is despite the fact that it was taken with a 60mm micro Nikkor which does focus to 1:1. So, I am not quite sure just how small it is but guess it is probably less than 10mm long.

Any assistance you can provide would be much appreciated.

Regards,
Ian

ianskip@voyager.co.nz

Skipworth, I., 1999 (May 8) Caldukia rubignosa from New Zealand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/851

Dear Ian,
This is Caldukia rubignosa a bryozoan-feeding nudibranch closely related to Janolus mokohinau. It is known only from northeastern New Zealand but there is a similar species Caldukia affinis which is found quite commonly in southeastern Australia.

As you judged from your photo, they seldom grow much larger than a centimeter.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 1999 (May 8). Comment on Caldukia rubignosa from New Zealand by Ian Skipworth. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/851

Factsheet

Caldukia rubignosa

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