Noumea haliclona mating
September 23, 2005
From: Leanne & David Atkinson
Dear Bill,
We came across this group of tiny nudibranchs at the weekend and think they might be what you've identified for us before as Noumea haliclona. There are faint red/orange spots on the rhinophores when you blow it up. The two shot sequence would indicate that the top two are disengaging from mating while the bottom two are still in the process of mating.
Locality: Pipeline, Port Stephens, NSW, Australia. Depth: 5 metres. Length: 5 mm.18th September 2005. Scattered sponges on sand. Photographer: Leanne & David Atkinson
Regards,
Leanne & David Atkinson
atk@hunterlink.net.au
Leanne & David Atkinson, 2005 (Sep 23) Noumea haliclona mating. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14820Dear Leanne & David,
Yes this is one of the colour forms of N. haliclona, and as you say, the small reddish marks on the front of the rhinophores are unique to this species, and found in all its colour forms. I agree with your mating scenario.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
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