Halgerda gunnessi
Fahey & Gosliner, 2001

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Dorididae

PHOTO

Halgerda gunnessi sp.nov. (WAMS 12391). Specimen, 70 mm, from Rottnest Island, Western Australia. 27 m depth, January, 1999. Photo by G. Gunness. (Fahey & Gosliner, 2001: Figure 3A.}.

This species of Halgerda has been found at depths between 27- 30 meters off Rottnest Island, Western Australia. It has yellow-crested translucent white ridges and no tubercles. The dorsum is translucent white with an overlay of chocolate brown. Between the ridges are other translucent white streaks each with a median thin yellow line. Some of these streaks connect to the ridges, others do not. The mantle edge has a white border and an inner yellow band. The foot is edged with yellow. The rhinophore club is dark brown and there appears to be as dark brown line up the anterior and posterior midlines of the stalk. The translucent white gills are quite branched and are edged in dark brown. Halgerda gunnessi is similar in colour to H. johnsonorum, but H. johnsonorum has brown spots on both the rhinophores and gills. There are also differences in the radular morphology and reproductive system of each species. It's named after Graeme Gunness, from Western Australia.

See also Halgerda theobroma which is quite similar in colour.

Reference:
• Fahey, S.J. & Gosliner, T.M. (2001) On the genus Halgerda (Nudibranchia: Halgerdidae) from Western Australia with descriptions of four new species. Bollettino Malacologico, 37(5-8): 55-76.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (October 10) Halgerda gunnessi Fahey & Gosliner, 2001. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/halggunn

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