Cerberilla ambonensis
Bergh, 1905

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Aeolidiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Western Pacific and Indonesian Archipelago.

PHOTO

UPPER: Sulawesi, Indonesia. Length: 5cm, Depth: 12m., 12 July 2003. Photo: Giorgio Berger.
LOWER: Plate V, fig 6. Bergh, 1905.

The most characteristic external feature of this species would appear to be the transverse dark lines across the foot, which can be seen in Bergh's illustration. I have another photo clearly showing the ceratal colour of another specimen from Darwin but unfortunately can not get permission to use the photo. In that photo the cerata are black with broad yellow band some distance from the tip, then a black band, then a bluish white cap. The basal half of the longest cerata is greyish brown then black. The black band between the yellow and the white terminal region can be thin, broad or absent. The oral tentacles are white at the base then have a broad blue band filling the middle half of the tentacle, then a short black band, then white tip. In both Bergh's illustration and Scott Johnson's photo, the whitish terminal part of each cerata is absent or not very obvious. In Cerberilla annulata which also has yellow and black ceratal bands, the yellow and black are in reverse order.

Reference:
• Bergh, L.S.R. (1905). Die Opisthobranchiata der Siboga-Expedition. Monographie 50: 1-248, pls. 1-20

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (November 29) Cerberilla ambonensis Bergh, 1905. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/cerbambo

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