Austraeolis catina from Bonaire, Caribbean Sea

April 16, 2007
From: Marianne Ligthart

Dear Bill.
We found this nudibranch during a nightdive. Dive site:'Front Porch'/Bonaire:(s-w.coast near Kralendijk)/Caribbean Sea.
Length:15 mm. Food: possibly hydroids (there where lots of them)Depth: 7-8 m. We saw several animals of the same kind.

Locality: Front Porch, near Kralendijk, Bonaire., 7 - 8 metres, Bonaire, Caribbean Sea, 24 February 2007, Ot sponges, maybe overgrown with hydroids. Length: 15 mm. Photographer: Marco Faasse.

We are not sure about the identification. Flabellina hamanni seems possible to us but some details are not visible (the purple ring on the cerata)
Greetings,
Marianne Ligthart

mligthart01@freeler.nl

Ligthart, A., 2007 (Apr 16) Austraeolis catina from Bonaire, Caribbean Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19779

Dear Marianne,

Caribbean aeolids can be a challenge to ID. The species you present here is Austraeolis catina Marcus & Marcus, 1967. You will find photos nearly identical to yours in Caribbean Sea Slugs on page 248.

Your observations here provide a new southerly point in the species distribution.

  • Valdes, A., J. Hamann, D.W. Behrens & A. DuPont. 2006. Caribbean Sea Slugs - A field guide to the opisthobranch mollusks from tropical northwestern Atlantic. Sea Challengers, Gig Harbor, Washington. 289p.

Thanks for sharing this,
Dave Behrens

Reference:

 

Behrens, D.W., 2007 (Apr 16). Comment on Austraeolis catina from Bonaire, Caribbean Sea by Marianne Ligthart. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19779

Factsheet

Austraeolis catina

Related messages

  1. Re: Austraeolis catina from St Kitts, Caribbean Se
    From: Eric Kaye, March 26, 2010
  2. Austraeolis catina from St Kitts, Caribbean Sea
    From: Eric Kaye, March 24, 2010
  3. Austraeolis catina and its sponge
    From: Bill Rudman, April 16, 2007
  4. Austraeolis catina and its food? sponge
    From: Linda Ianniello, September 20, 2005
  5. Re: Bahama slugs
    From: Marli Wakeling, February 15, 2001
  6. Re: Bahama slugs
    From: Anne DuPont, February 14, 2001
  7. Re: The 'Long-Horn' aeolid from Belize
    From: Sandra Millen, August 26, 1999
  8. The 'Long-Horn' aeolid from Belize
    From: Anne DuPont, August 25, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages