Tambja sp. 10
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Nembrothinae
PHOTO
Kenting, 9 metres, Taiwan, 1 April 2005, Coral Reef. Length: 4 mm. Photographer: Ren. [from C.Y.Chan].
I suspect this is a yellow form of Tambja amakusana, but as that species was described from a single 8 mm long specimen it's hard to know just what that species really is. I note some books on Japanese species identify the animal I have been calling Tambja cf amakusana as T. amakusana but it differs in having all the rhinophore club dark blue rather than just the tip. This may seem a small difference but it is consistent in all the photos I have seen. Baba described his species as 'uniformly yellowish grees (= grass green) without any spots. the rhinophore clavi yellow and the branchial rachides yellowish green. There are deep blue markings visible on the tips of the rhinophores, branchial plumes and tail."
I suspect this animal is a yellow form of Tambja amakusana but it is difficult to be sure until the other similar coloured species are sorted out. For example Tambja sp. 6 is also similar but has longitudinal ridging. I guess all I can do at present is give it the next free number - Tambja sp. 10 .
- Baba, K. 1987. Two new green coloured species of Tambja from Japan (Nudibranchia: Polyceridae). Venus, Japanese Journal of Malacology, 46(1): 13-18.
Rudman, W.B., 2006 (April 26) Tambja sp. 10 [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/tambsp10
