Re:Tambja morosa in New Zealand

April 2, 1999
From: Ross Armstrong


Hi Bill

I see that Ian Skipworth has sent you an excellent photo of this nudibranch.  Ian has got a very good web-site with some excellent photos including some quite rare nudibranchs which I am yet to find.   In regard to your comment about the colour my own experience is that they are normally a much darker green, almost black.

My experience is that they are quite common at the Poor Knights this year but reasonably rare in previous years.  This may just be my
previous inability to find them.

I have attached two of my own images. The one of Tambja on the ascidian was not posed. It was photographed in Bernie's cave near Middle Arch at the Poor Knights late last year.  There were several Tambja morosa in the cave.  There was also a lot of ascidians.  When I first photographed the
particular nudibranch it was not on the ascidians.  However the nudibranch was moving along reasonably quickly for nudibranchs and happened to crawl (if that is what nudibranchs do) over the ascidians.  I thought it was a good photo opportunity.

I had to hurry to get some photos before it reached the other side.  I am fairly sure it was not feeding but just passing through, however that was based on an assumption at the time.  None of the other Tambja morosa were on the ascidians. There was also four or five Tambja verconis at the entrance to the cave.

We have had a lot of the more uncommon nudibranchs at the Poor Knights this summer.  Possibly something to do with La Nina?

cheers

Ross Armstrong

Note the change in e-mail address.  I am setting up a web site www.oceanwildlife.com - not a lot of nudibranch photos though.

ross@oceanwildlife.com

Armstrong, R., 1999 (Apr 2) Re:Tambja morosa in New Zealand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/753

Dear Ross,
Thanks for the photos. It is an intersting picture with the bryozoan-eating Tambja on the ascidians. When I first saw your photo I thought it is either posed or we have an ascidian-feeding species of Nembrotha mimicking Tambja morosa! It's a good example of how important it is to treat photos of apparent feeding episodes with caution.

Good luck with your website. I look forward to additions. I must say I love the ray photo and the way you have rainbow coloured the hydroids.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 1999 (Apr 2). Comment on Re:Tambja morosa in New Zealand by Ross Armstrong. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/753

Factsheet

Tambja morosa

Related messages

  1. Feeding Tambja morosa in New Zealand
    From: Samuel Kemp, May 17, 2007
  2. Tambja morosa from East Timor
    From: Nick Hobgood, December 11, 2006
  3. Tambja morosa from Bali
    From: Johan Samsom, August 11, 2006
  4. Tambja morosa from Davao, Philippines
    From: Carlos R. Munda, August 9, 2006
  5. Tambja morosa from the Philippines
    From: Sébastien Lenglet, July 8, 2006
  6. Tambja morosa from Gold Coast, Queensland
    From: Ian Banks, June 10, 2006
  7. Tambja morosa? from Pemba, Tanzania
    From: Wilhelm van Zyl, November 22, 2005
  8. Re: Tambja morosa from Sulawesi
    From: Francesco Ricciardi, April 16, 2005
  9. Tambja morosa from southern Queensland
    From: Gary Cobb, November 12, 2003
  10. Tambja morosa - new locality?
    From: Ron Greer, July 26, 2003
  11. Tambja kushimotoensis from Taiwan
    From: Todd Garthwaite, July 24, 2003
  12. Head & sensory organs of Tambja morosa
    From: Bill Rudman, July 24, 2003
  13. Tambja morosa swimming
    From: Sarah Heaney, April 5, 2003
  14. Tambja morosa from Vanuatu
    From: Vinka Stenhouse, March 23, 2003
  15. Juvenile of Tambja sagamiana?
    From: Tomoki Ueda, January 21, 2003
  16. Tambja morosa laying eggs
    From: Mary Jane Adams , December 20, 2002
  17. Tambja morosa from Indonesia
    From: Sabine Noack, September 27, 2002
  18. Tambja morosa from Sulawesi
    From: Mary Jane Adams, June 10, 2002
  19. Tambja morosa from Papua New Guinea
    From: Marli Wakeling, November 12, 2001
  20. Tambja cf morosa from the Philippines
    From: Erwin Koehler, January 5, 2001
  21. Tambja morosa from Queensland
    From: Stuart Hutchison, October 8, 2000
  22. Tambja morosa from Thailand
    From: Narongpon Sittithaweepat, April 10, 2000
  23. Tambja morosa from New Zealand.
    From: Ian Skipworth, January 24, 1999

Show factsheet and all related messages