Halgerda stricklandi
Fahey & Gosliner, 1999

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Dorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from Thailand, Andaman Sea.

PHOTO

UPPER: Holotype, 35mm long preserved. Ko Ha, Thailand, Andaman Sea, 13m deep. November 1997. PHOTO: Mark Strickland.
LOWER:Thailand, Similan Is., March 1999, PHOTO: Georg Heinze.

The species can be distinguished from other species of Halgerda by the large, bright orange-tipped, conical tubercles scattered over the dorsum, but which are not interconnected by ridges. Below each orange tip the tubercles have a band of opaque white. There are many smaller orange tubercles scattered amongst the larger tubercles. The rhinophore club is translucent yellow and there is a black line extending down the whole length of both the rhinophore club and stalk on the posterior midline. The anterior side of the club also has black pigmentation. The gill has black spots on the anterior sides of the four
branchial leaves. The foot has an orange margin.

This species has similarities to Halgerda carlsoni and Halgerda malesso. H. malesso has ridges and a network of orange lines, and H. carlsoni has fewer large, orange tubercles, and the small spots scattered all over the mantle are finer and not raised on tubercles.

See Erwin Koehler's message and other photo below.

Reference:
• Fahey, S.J. & Gosliner, T.M. (1999) Preliminary Phylogeny of Halgerda (Nudibranchia: Halgerdidae) from the tropical Indo-Pacific, with descriptions of three new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 51(11): 424-448.

NOTE: Until today this species had the temporary name Halgerda sp. 2.[Added 2 March 2000]

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (April 18) Halgerda stricklandi Fahey & Gosliner, 1999. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/halgstric

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