Crosslandia daedali
Poorman & Mulliner, 1981
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DENDRONOTINA
Family: Scyllaeidae
DISTRIBUTION
Pacific coast of central America
PHOTO
This first one was found at 50 feet deep in Los Arcos, Bahia de Banderas, Pacific Coast of Mexico, May 4th, 2002 and is 16 mm long. It was on the alga you see in the picture. Photo: Alicia Hermosillo
Typical shape for Crosslandia with bilobed parapodia, the anterior lobe being larger than the posterior. Edge of lobes described by Poorman & Mulliner as 'irregularly notched and digitate'. Colour described as 'greenish brown-orange: longitudinal fine chestnut brown lines with some white lines on sides and undersides of lobes; a narrow light-coloured border along the thin edge of the rhinophores sheaths, along the sides of the neck, round edge of lobes and crest of tail; irregular black to brown blotches on some animals. Brilliant blue small round spots medially along sides of body, about 6 in number, about 5 spots medially on the dorsum, most spots with fine black borders. A row of 4-6 flesh-colored, sharply conical tubercles along the median line of each side of the animal.' The animals were reported from Sonora, Mexico, on Padina where it grazes on small hydroids growing on the algae. It grows to 25mm in length.
Reference:
• Poorman, L.H. & Mulliner, D.K. (1981) A new species of Crosslandia (Nudibranchia: Dendronotacea) from the Gulf of California. The Nautilus, 95(2): 96–99.
Rudman, W.B., 2002 (April 21) Crosslandia daedali Poorman & Mulliner, 1981. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/crosdaed
Related messages
Crosslandia daedali from Pacific coast of Mexico
December 8, 2009
From: Kevin Lee
Here's another very cryptic critter, Crosslandia daedali. Wow! it was amazing how Alicia Hermosillo found these guys, which were so well camouflaged.
Locality: Los Arcos, Puerto Vallarta, 25fsw, Mexico, East Pacific, 04 July 2009, Rocky Reef. Length: 1/2 inch. Photographer: Kevin Lee.
Cheers, K:-)
diverkevin@gmail.com
Lee, K., 2009 (Dec 8) Crosslandia daedali from Pacific coast of Mexico. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22937
Dear Kevin,
It's nice to get some more photos of this strange dendronotoidean. I have included a close-up to show how the region between the 'parapodial flaps' is covered in finely branching gills
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Crosslandia daedali from Bahia de Banderas
July 22, 2003
From: Alicia Hermosillo
Dear Dr. Rudman,
I thought I would continue with some rare dendronotids from here. Crosslandia daedali is always a treat to find (I get to see about 2 or 3 every summer month).
These specimens I found at Los Arcos and Conchas Chinas, Bahia de Banderas, Pacific Coast of Mexico. They are 32 and 25 mm long at about 25 feet of depth.
In one of this pictures you can see very well the plumose gills of the animal and how well disguised it is to the Sargassum where I usually find it. I have not been able to identify which of the many species of hydroids living on the algae Crosslandia eats.
Congrats again on your work!
Alicia Hermosillo
gueri25@hotmail.com
m10499d.jpg, 2003 (Jul 22) Crosslandia daedali from Bahia de Banderas. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10499
Dear Ali,
Thanks for these great photos. The certainly are well camouflaged on the brown algae. Have you checked the radula of any of these animals? Why I ask is the animal in your upper and lower photos have two well separated parapodial lobes much like in your earlier photos, but the middle photo shows and animal in which the lobes merge together on each side. This animal doesn't seem to have as many gills on the inside of the parapodia either. What I am wondering is whether you have 2 species here, perhaps a Scyllaea and a Crosslandia?
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Spelling of Crosslandia daedali
May 23, 2002
From: Erwin Köhler
Hi Bill,
Which is the right spelling: daedalli or daedali?
You use both of them.
Erwin
Erwin@medslugs.de
Köhler, E., 2002 (May 23) Spelling of Crosslandia daedali. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7021Thanks Erwin,
'daedali' is correct. Although my spelling was correct in the 'important' places, I was indeed a bit liberal with the 'l's in some of my comments. Sorry about that, and thanks for letting me know,
Cheers,
Bill Rudman
Re: Scyllaeidae from Bahia de Banderas, (2)
May 20, 2002
From: Alicia Hermosillo
Dear Dr. Rudman,
Thanks for your help in identifying my scyllaeids...
It will be interesting to keep on looking for these animals and try to figure out how the coloring works. I would say we have as many red alga as we do green, perhaps it is a question of chance: the larvae of the red ones that establish themselves in green alga do not make it to visible size, the same could be said about the green ones. I will continue to record them and in time bigger numbers will give us better grounds for knowing. They are not very abundant and they are pretty difficult to see, so I would not wait standing up.
Ali
gueri25@hotmail.com
Hermosillo, A., 2002 (May 20) Re: Scyllaeidae from Bahia de Banderas, (2). [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7004Scyllaeidae from Bahia de Banderas, (1)
May 18, 2002
From: Alicia Hermosillo
Dear Dr. Rudman,
I am sending you three messages on this same matter. Each one will have pictures of different individuals (perhaps species) of Scyllaeidae I have found. I sent the pictures to Dr. Behrens and he recommended I also sent them to you to see what you have to say about it.
This first one was found at 50 feet deep in Los Arcos, Bahia de Banderas, Pacific Coast of Mexico, May 4th, 2002 and is 16 mm long. It was on the alga you see in the picture.
It matches the description by Poorman and Mulliner of Crosslandia daedali but it is quite different from the pictures already on the Forum of this species.
Ali
gueri25@hotmail.com
Hermosillo, A., 2002 (May 18) Scyllaeidae from Bahia de Banderas, (1). [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6968Dear Ali,
Thanks for the interesting photos in your three messages. This one is identical in shape and colour to the original description of Crosslandia daedali so I am sure that is what it is. As I said in my reply accompanying Peter Ajtai's photo, we know so little about colour and shape variation in scyllaeid species, that identifying them involves quite a bit of guesswork. Know that I have seen your photo, I suspect that Peter Ajtai's photo is of a different species. To avoid confusion I will move it to a separate page.
I think your other two messages refer to Notobryon cf. wardi and a juvenile Crosslandia daedali.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Scyllaeidae from Bahia de Banderas, (2)
May 18, 2002
From: Alicia Hermosillo
Dear Bill,
here is the second of the scyllaeids I am having trouble identifying.
This animal I found at 51 feet of depth at Los Arcos, Bahia de Banderas, Pacific Coast of Mexico during the same dive as the animal in my first message. This one is smaller, only 7mm.
It was on a red alga and I was quite surprised to see this color variation. This red one is the only one I have seen, while the green one from part 1 I have seen in other ocassions.
Again, except from the color, the description matches Crosslandia daedali.
Alicia
gueri25@hotmail.com
Dear Ali,
I think this is a juvenile of Crosslandia daedali. I am not sure why the colour matches that of the algae, as the slug feeds on epiphytic hydroids so will not be picking up algal pigment from its food.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
