Dendrodoris citrina
(Cheeseman, 1881)
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Dendrodorididae
DISTRIBUTION
Found throughout New Zealand. Essentially an intertidal species but can also be found sublittorally down to a few metres.
PHOTO
UPPER RIGHT: Auckland, New Zealand, December 1986 (25mm long) PHOTO: Bill Rudman.
LOWER RIGHT: Enlargement of upper photo to show characteristic pattern of white specks (glands?) all over mantle.
LOWER LEFT: Poor Knights Islands, northeastern New Zealand, sublittoral. PHOTO: Ross Armstrong.
This is one of the most common intertidal nudibranchs in New Zealand and is found in a wide variety of habitats. It ranges in colour from bright yellow, reddish brown, orange and even translucent white. Small white mantle glands appear as tiny white specks all over the mantle. Grows to about 70mm long.
Compare with D. carneola, D. aurea, and D. miniata.
Reference:
• Cheeseman, T.F. (1881) On some new species of Nudibranchiate Mollusca. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 8: 222-224.
Rudman, W.B., 1998 (December 13) Dendrodoris citrina (Cheeseman, 1881). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/dendcitr
Related messages
Dendrodoris citrina from sthn New Zealand
December 1, 2005
From: Ross Armstrong
We think this might be a pale colour form of Dendrodoris citrina but wondered if you could confirm.
Locality: Half Moon Bay, Stewart Island, New Zealand. South Pacific Ocean. Depth: 10 m. Length: 70 mm. 19 November 2005. On sand by kelp bed. Photographer: Diane Armstrong
Best regards
Ross and Diane Armstrong
ross@oceanwildlife.com
Armstrong, R.W., 2005 (Dec 1) Dendrodoris citrina from sthn New Zealand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15382
Dear Ross and Diane,
Yes this seems to be a very pale form of Dendrodoris citrina. The peppering of white specks over the mantle seem to be a charcteristic of thsi species.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Dendrodoris citrina from New Zealand
December 13, 1998
From: Ross Armstrong
Bill,
Here is a photo of mine of Dendrodoris citrina from the Poor Knights Islands in northeastern New Zealand. It was taken on a night dive in Nursery Cove at Poor Knights. Although common, this is the first (and only) time I have seen one (I found two on the night dive). Tony and Jenny Enderby see them a lot at Goat Island Marine Reserve. Normally under rocks.
Ross Armstrong
ross@northpower.co.nz
Armstrong, R., 1998 (Dec 13) Dendrodoris citrina from New Zealand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/385