Ceratosoma ingozi
Gosliner, 1996
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Chromodorididae
PHOTO
Millers Point, False Bay, Cape Town, South Africa, 28 Feb 2004. Depth: 22m. Photo: Fiona Whitworth.
The body is high, with a continuous mantle ridge around the mantle edge, with mantle glands scattered along the edge. The gills are sparsely pinnate and often branched. The body, and mantle, ranges in colour from translucent white to a pale orange-yellow, with reddish purple spots scattered over the mantle and the sides of the body. Each spot is surrounded by a whitish ring. Gosliner describes the gills as translucent white, but in larger specimens they can also have small purplish spots. Reported to reach 55 mm in length.
This species was first reported by Gosliner [1987] as Ceratosoma sp. [no 138]. In Terry's photo the spots are much redder but in the text he talks of bluish spots. It is apparently only found in southern South Africa as he reports seeing it 'only in vicinity of Danger Point' [near Gansbaai, Western Cape, South Africa]. It looks quite similar to Ceratosoma brevicaudatum which is only found in the temperate waters of southern Australia.
Reference:
• Gosliner, T. (1987) Nudibranchs of Southern Africa.
• Gosliner, T.M. (1996) Phylogeny of Ceratosoma
(Nudibranchia: Chromodorididae), with descriptions of two new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 49(3): 115-126.
Rudman, W.B., 2005 (January 28) Ceratosoma ingozi Gosliner, 1996. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/ceraingo
Related messages
Re: Ceratosoma ingozi from South Africa
October 26, 2006
From: Georgina Jones
Concerning message #17035:
Hello again, just to attach a nice photo of C. ingozi laying eggs ...
Locality: False Bay, 18m, South Africa, False Bay, 11 December 2005, rocky reef. Length: 80mm. Photographer: Robert Wilson.
Georgina Jones
gjones@icon.co.za
Jones, G. J., 2006 (Oct 26) Re: Ceratosoma ingozi from South Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/18127
Dear Georgina,
Thanks very much for keeping in contact. It certainly looks like you have proved that your earlier photo was indeed of the egg ribbon of this species. This is a valuable bit of information.
You seem to have another couple of nudibranchs in your photo. I think the two orange-red oval shapes on the left of the photo, below the orange-red sponge, are a couple of dorid nudibranchs, which probably feed on the sponge. My guess is that they are a species of Rostanga, but I would need a clearer photo to be sure.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: Ceratosoma ingozi from South Africa
July 3, 2006
From: Georgina Jones
Concerning message #17026:
Hello again,
Thanks for your speedy reply!
As to why I think this is the egg ribbon of C. ingozi, well, only because we saw them close together, which I realise doesn't constitute definite proof. The egg ribbon pictured alone (which was probably reversed in scanning) was not close to any nudibranchs, but when we saw how much it looked like the picture where the nudi is with the egg ribbon we decided it was the same thing. Not good enough for certainty?
With respect to the mantle glands, I have attached two photos which show some details of same, especially of the anterior mantle. I also attach a photo showing colour variation in this species. It is a lovely creature.
Locality: Partridge Point, Cape Town, 18-20m, Western Cape, South Africa, False Bay, August 2005, rocky reef. Length: 70-100mm. Photographer: Sharon Albert.
Best wishes
Georgina
gjones@icon.co.za
Thanks Georgina,
I agree the two egg masses [if we reverse the spirality of the solitary one] are from the same species, but proximity is not conclusive evidence of 'ownership' unfortunately. Nudibranchs - except for a very few possible cases of brooding - are not very caring of their eggs. So a nudibranch by an egg ribbon can just mean its passing by. If you can catch one of these animals feeding on a sponge, I would love to know about it
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Ceratosoma ingozi from South Africa
July 1, 2006
From: Georgina Jones
Hi, Georgina here.
I'm busy working on a layman's fieldguide to the nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and wondered if you would be interested in a photo of what I believe is the egg ribbon of Ceratosoma ingozi?
Locality: Partridge Point,, Cape Town, 18 m, Western Cape, South Africa, False Bay, June 2005, rocky reef. Length: 100 mm. Photographer: Sharon Albert.
Best wishes
Georgina
gjones@icon.co.za
Dear Georgina,
Thanks for the photos. I would be interested to know why your think these are the egg ribbons of C. ingozi. We can only be sure if we catch one laying its eggs, but you seem to have a couple of different egg ribbons here, were they bot associated with specimens of this Ceratosoma? Also could you check if you reversed one of the photos when you scanned it? They seem to be spiralling in different directions.
One other interesting point I noticed in your photos are the arrangement of the mantle glands in this species. Although there seems to be more of them around the posterior mantle edge they are present all around the mantle edge, as described by Terry Gosliner, which is most unusual in this genus.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Ceratosoma ingozi from South Africa
May 26, 2005
From: Charles Rowe
Hi Bill,
This weekend I found what looks to me likek a new nudi for Port
Elizabeth! Anyway the details are - Gasmic, Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 25 metres. May 2005. Any idea what it is? It looks very similar to one I took at Christmas in Cape Town but the colouring is different.
See ya.
Charles
Charles.rowe@gmsa.com
Dear Charles,
Yes this is Ceratosoma ingozi. This animal is indeed quite different in colour to your earlier photo [message #13049], but species of Ceratosoma are quite variable in colour. As we see more photos of this South African species, I am struck wit its similarity to its southern Australian counterpart C. brevicaudatum, although the posterior tip to the mantle looks more substantial than that species. Your two photos show some interesting features. Firstly we can see it is feeding on the red-brown sponge - a crater-like hole is very obvious. Secondly its mantle glands are concentrated posteriorly and anteriorly. There is a cluster around the posterior end of the mantle edge, and in front of each rhinophore, there is another cluster on each side.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Ceratosoma ingozi from Cape Town
January 28, 2005
From: Charles Rowe
Hi Bill,
Here is another photo I would like identified.
Outer Partridge, Cape Town, South Africa, 12 December 2004, 18 metres
See ya.
Charles Rowe
Charles.rowe@gmsa.com
Rowe, C., 2005 (Jan 28) Ceratosoma ingozi from Cape Town. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13049Dear Charles,
This is a nice find. It is the recently named Ceratosoma ingozi, which is the South African equivalent of the Australian Ceratosoma brevicaudatum. Both species lack the dorsal horn which is such a characteristic feature of most species of the genus Ceratosoma. Your photo shows small purple spots on the gills, a feature not previously noted in this species. Perhaps they appear in larger specimens. Can you give me any indication of how big your animal was?
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Ceratosoma off Cape Town, Sth Africa
March 3, 2004
From: Fiona Whitworth
Hi there, Fiona here. Just thought you could help name these two nudibranchs/slugs for me. Have looked in local guide, but no joy.
Millers Point, False Bay, Cape Town, South Africa, 28 Feb 2004
Depth: 22m,
Water Temp: 12 degrees celcius
Bottom: Rocky reef
Thanks
Fiona
mfwhitworth@absamail.co.za
Whitworth, F., 2004 (Mar 3) Ceratosoma off Cape Town, Sth Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12344Note added 3 March 2004: This is Ceratosoma ingozi. See Terry Gosliner's message [#12366].
Dear Fiona,
This is an interesting find. It is the animal in Terry Gosliner's book as Ceratosoma sp. [no 138]. In Terry's photo the spots are much redder but in the text he talks of bluish spots. It is apparently only found in southern South Africa as he reports seeing it 'only in vicinity of Danger Point' [near Gansbaai, Western Cape, South Africa].
It looks quite similar to Ceratosoma brevicaudatum which is only found in the temperate waters of southern Australia.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
Ceratosoma is Ceratosoma ingozi
March 3, 2004
From: Terry Gosliner
Dear Bill,
Fiona Whitworth's photo [#12344] from South Africa is indeed the species you noted from my book. It has subsuequently been named as Ceratosoma ingozi Gosliner 1996.
• Gosliner, T.M. (1996) Phylogeny of Ceratosoma (Nudibranchia: Chromodorididae), with descriptions of two new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 49(3): 115-126.
There have been several additional recent sightings of it in False Bay.
All the best,
Terry
tgosliner@calacademy.org
Gosliner, T.M., 2004 (Mar 3) Ceratosoma is Ceratosoma ingozi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12366Dear Terry,
Thanks for your quick repsonse. I'm afraid this publication escaped my dragnet. When I read your message I thought at first my memory had failed - a common enough event, but on checking my various databases it appears that Ceratosoma ingozi never made it. When I get hold of a copy I must check out where its mantle glands are, as I meant to say in my reply to Fiona, that one difference with Ceratosoma brevicaudatum was the lack of an obvious mantle gland concentration at the back of the mantle.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
