Cuthona amoena from Scotland
May 9, 2006
From: Jim Anderson
Dear Bill,
This animal was found on the hydroids growing on the disused electricity cable that drapes over the reef at 15 m at the site. ID by Dr. Bernard Picton.
Locality: South Gortein, Loch Fyne, 15 m, Scotland, Atlantic Ocean, 30 April 2006, Rocky reef. Length: 15 mm. Photographer: Jim Anderson.
Regards,
Jim A
http://www.scottishnudibranchs.co.uk/
jander4454@gmail.com
Anderson, J., 2006 (May 9) Cuthona amoena from Scotland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16529Thanks Jim,
Your photo has reminded me that the Fact Sheet for this species was blank!
I am glad you got an identification from Bernard Picton because there are a number of very similar looking species in your part of the world. One in particular, C. rubescens, feeds on the same hydroid as C. amoena - Halecium halecinum - and the one sure external feature which apparently distinguishes the two is that C. amoena has a brown band on the oral tentacles, about midway down their length. Both species have a similar brown band on the rhinophores. And as luck would have it, the only things I can't see in your excellent photo are the oral tentacles.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Related messages
-
Re: Facelina dubia from Turkey
From: Greg Brown, November 18, 2008 -
Facelina dubia from Turkey
From: Tunca Rodoplu, November 10, 2008 -
Cuthona amoena from the Netherlands
From: Peter H. van Bragt, October 4, 2002