Herviella albida
Baba, 1966

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Glaucidae

DISTRIBUTION

Known previously from Japan and possibly Great Barrier Reef.

PHOTO

Aquarium photo of unknown origin (possibly Fiji). Photo: Todd Bretl

Small translucent aeolid with scattered white marks on head and body. In original description there is also a U-jhaped black line on head, and a curved black line on each side of the back between the ceratal clusters.The oral tentacles and rhinophores are white tipped with a blackish band below the white. Cerata have two broad white bands, one just below the tip and another about halfway down.

This identification is tentative and would require a look at the anatomy to confirm the identity. Marshall & Willan identify a very similar animal from Heron Is as Herviella mietta Marcus & Burch, 1965. Marcus & Burch however describe heavy black pigmentation on the head, and sometimes all the body, in that species. The cerata are described as having a white cnidosac, not the two white bands seen in H. albida.

References:
• Baba, K (1960): The genus Herviella and a new species, H. affinis, from Japan (Nudibranchia - Eolidacea). Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory 8(2): 303-305.
• Baba, K (1966) Record of Herviella albida n. sp. from Seto, Kii, Japan (Nudibranchia - Eolidoidea). Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory 13(5): 361-363, Pl.15.
• Burn, R F (1967) Revision of the genus Herviella (Opisthobranchia: Eolidacea). Malacologia 6(1-2): 223-230.
• Marcus, Er., & Burch, J.B. (1965) Marine euthyneuran Gastropoda from Eniwetok Atoll, western Pacific. Malacologia, 3(2): 235-262.

See Herviella cloaca for further references on the genus.
See Herviella mietta

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (May 22) Herviella albida Baba, 1966. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/hervalbi

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