Corambe pacifica
MacFarland & O'Donoghue, 1929

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Corambidae

DISTRIBUTION

West coast, N. America

PHOTO

Corambe pacifica on bryozoan colony [Membranipora membranacea] found attached to kelp [Macrocystis pyrifera). Santa Barbara Channel, California. Bryozoan colony approx 25mm long. Corambe approx 4mm long/ Photos: Genevieve Anderson.

The animals is remarkably well camouflaged when on the bryozoan colony on which it feeds. It is an oval, flattened, disk-like shape, slightly arched in the central region of the body. There is a wide mantle skirt which has a deep, circular notch in the posterior midline. The head is small with short, blunt oral tentacles. The rhinophores are translucent clear, and can retract into a sheath. The anus opens in the posterior midline. The gills are a series of simple, pinnate plumes, ranging in number in mature individuals from 6 to 14 on each side. They sit beneath the mantle in the posterior midline. The mantle is translucent clear with a slight pinkish tinge. The colour pattern consists of regularly arranged orange-brown patches separated by a pattern of opaque white spots and more diffuse white dusting, to mimic the colour pattern of the bryozan colony. Sometimes some of the orange-brown patches are much darker, or lighter than the rest. The foot is translucent clear with a narrow, white, marginal line. They grow to approximately 15 mm in length. They are usually found on kelp, usually Macrocystis, and seagrasses bearing incrustations of Membranipora upon which they feed exclusively. They are often found in competitive coexistence with Doridella steinbergae, and there have been a considerable number of papers written about their ecology. Species of Doridella have recently been placed in the genus Corambe. [see message].

References:
• Behrens, D.W. (1980). Pacific Coast Nudibranchs: A guide to the Opisthobranchs of the Northeastern Pacific. Sea challengers, Los Osos, California.
• MacFarland, F.M.& O'Donoghue, C.H. (1929). A new species of Corambe from the Pacific coast of North America. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, fourth series, 18(1): 1-27.
• Yoshioka, P.M. (1986). Life history patterns of the dorid nudibranchs Doridella steinbergae and Corambe pacifica. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 31: 179-184.
• Yoshioka, P.M. (1986). Competitive coexistence of the dorid nudibranchs Doridella steinbergae and Corambe pacifica. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 33: 81-88.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (February 27) Corambe pacifica MacFarland & O'Donoghue, 1929. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/corapaci

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