Original description of Nembrotha affinis Eliot, 1904

August 16, 2005
From: Bill Rudman

To accompany my update of the Tambja affinis Fact Sheet  here is some information from the original description of Eliot's Nembrotha affinis, including the colour paintings of Cyril Crossland, who collected the specimen in Zanzibar and presented it preserved to Charles Eliot, with a written description of  the living animals. From the description, and illustration of the radula, this species is more appropriately place in the genus Tambja.

The animal was 5 cms long alive and the soft animal was described as 'dull violet black ..... with dull yellow stripes on the sides and somewhat brighter ones of the same colour on the back. The stems and bases of the gills were light green, and the same colour occurred between the gills rhinophores and round the edges of their pockets. The pinnae of the gills looked black, but when seen with transmitted light were a fine purple.

• Eliot, C.N.E. (1904) On some nudibranchs from East Africa and Zanzibar. Part V. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1904(2): 83-105, Pls.3-4.

Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Aug 16) Original description of Nembrotha affinis Eliot, 1904. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14564

Copyright © Australian Museum, 1998-2010