Noumea haliclona
Tasmania colour form
PHOTO
Breakwater at Stanley, northern Tasmania, 12m, June 1985. UPPER RIGHT: 2 animals, 15mm long alive on yellow sponge, Darwinella cf oxeata. LOWER RIGHT: 28 yellow animals (10-15mm long), 19 pink animals (7-16mm long) on pink sponge, Darwinella cf australiensis. Note egg masses. PHOTOS: Bill Rudman.
RELATED TOPIC
In Tasmania, the mantle is either an opaque pink or yellow, with red or orange spots. Both colour forms have been found together on a pink aplysillid sponge (Darwinella cf. australiensis), but only the yellow form has been found on the yellow aplysillid (Darwinella cf. oxeata). In aquaria both colour forms will feed on yellow and pink sponges. (Sponge identification - P.R. Bergquist)
See main Noumea haliclona page.
References:
• Rudman, W.B. (1983) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Chromodoris splendida, C. aspersa and Hypselodoris placida colour groups. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 78: 105-173.
• Rudman, W.B. (1986) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: Noumea flava colour group. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 88: 377-404.
•Rudman, W.B. (1991) Purpose in Pattern: the evolution of colour in chromodorid nudibranchs. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 57, (T.E. Thompson Memorial Issue):5-21.
•Avern, G.J. (1986) The biology of the nudibranch mollusc Noumea haliclona (Burn, 1957). M.Sc. Thesis, University of Sydney (unpublished).
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (May 31) Noumea haliclona Tasmania colour form. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/noumhali2
