Dendronotus diversicolor
Robilliard, 1970
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DENDRONOTINA
Family: Dendronotidae
DISTRIBUTION
Alaska to California.
PHOTO
Upper: Sucia Island, San Juan Islands, Boundary Pass, Washington, USA, NW Pacific. Depth: 70'. Length: 4" 09 Sept 2005. Rocky slope with small fern-like plants. Photographer: Jack Connick. Lower: 20 meters at Mono Lobo Wall in Carmel, California, 40mm long. PHOTO: Clinton Bauder
Note added 28 July 2007: There is some suggestion that this is a colour form of Dendronotus albus - [see message #16223].
The translucent body can be either white or lilac, with lilac animals varying in shades from pink to pale violet. An opaque white, or an opaque orange-yellow pigment may be present on the upper third of the main ceratal branches, and the tips of other tentacular projections of the body. There is an opaque white line down the dorsal midline, from the last cerata to the posterior tip of the body.
The body is more laterally compressed than other species in this genus, and the lack of cerata in the posterior third of the body gives it a long 'tail'. There are 4, sometimes 5, pairs of tall slender, sparsely branched cerata. The oral veil bears 3 pairs of sparsely branched papillae.
In the field they have been found associated with a number of species of hydroid but in the laboratory they prefer species of Abietinaria and Hydrallmania distans [see Robilliard, 1970]. Dendronotus diversicolor grows to approximately 70 mm.
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Robilliard, G.A. (1970) The systematics and some aspects of the ecology of the genus Dendronotus (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia). The Veliger, 12(4): 433-479.
Rudman, W.B., 2005 (October 3) Dendronotus diversicolor Robilliard, 1970. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/denddive
Related messages
Dendronotus diversicolor from British Columbia
February 3, 2006
From: Marli Wakeling
Hi Bill,
Here's a Dendronotus diversicolor from Quadra Island, B.C. Looks to be eating a feather hydroid.
Locality: Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada. Pacific coast. Depth: 45 feet. Length: 20 mm. 10 October 2005. Rocky wall. Photographer: Marli Wakeling
Cheers,
Marli
scubamarli@gmail.com
Wakeling, M., 2006 (Feb 3) Dendronotus diversicolor from British Columbia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15704Thanks Marli,
Bill Rudman
Re: Dendronotus dalli from NW Pacific [2]
October 6, 2005
From: Jack Connick
Bill;
Good call on the third photo [message #14898]. I had it as Dendronotus dalli only because of the white tips, but it does appear different. According to Behren's Pacific Coast Nudibranchs, pg 75, the processes and cerata of Dendronotus albus are tipped with orange to red to brown. Perhaps it's Dendronotus diversicolor, but it appears different than those I saw in the area and sent photos of. Behren's photos also shows that the cerata of D.diversicolor' are tipped in yellow. But doesn't specify it in the written description.
Here's another shot.
Locality: Sucia Island, San Juan Islands, Boundary Pass, Washington, USA. NE Pacific. Depth: 70' Length: 3-4". 11 September 2005. Rocky slope with hydroids. Photographer: Jack Connick
Jack Connick
JackConnick@Yahoo.com
Connick, Jack, 2005 (Oct 6) Re: Dendronotus dalli from NW Pacific [2]. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14922Dear Jack,
Both the species I mentioned as possibile identifications have all white colour forms. Have a look at some of the messages on the Forum. One way to separate them is that Dendronotus albus has more than four pairs of cerata (usually 5-7), while D. diversicolor usually has no more than 4 pairs. Why I couldn't be sure of an identification from your earlier photo was I couldn't see the whole animal and count the cerata. In this photo I can see only 4 pairs of cerata so I assume it is D. diversicolor.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Dendronotus diversicolor from the NW Pacific
October 4, 2005
From: Jack Connick
Dear Bill,
Here are some photos of another N. Pacific nudi: Dendronotus diversicolor. Taken in the San Juna Islands in the Pacific Northwest.
Locality: Sucia Island, San Juan Islands, Boundary Pass, Washington, USA, NW Pacific. Depth: 70'. Length: 4" 09 Sept 2005. Rocky slope with small fern-like plants. Photographer: Jack Connick
Jack
JackConnick@Yahoo.com
Connick, Jack, 2005 (Oct 4) Dendronotus diversicolor from the NW Pacific. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14899Thanks Jack,
These photos show the shape of the animal very well
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Dendronotus diversicolor from California
August 11, 2002
From: Bruce Wight
Dear Bill,
Here is a photo of a Dendronotus laying eggs at San Miguel Island, [California, July 2002].
Thanks,
Bruce Wight
bwproductions@earthlink.net
Wight. B., 2002 (Aug 11) Dendronotus diversicolor from California. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7707Dear Bruce,
As with your earlier photo, I am pretty sure this is a white form of D. diversicolor. It looks very like Dendronotus dalli, but D. dalli has 6-7 pairs of branching gills, whereas D. diversicolor has 4 pairs. Also D. diversicolor has a white median line on the posterior end of the foot, which I think I can see in your photo. Also, as far as I know D. dalli doesn't occur as far south as California.
Cheers,
Bill Rudman
Re: Dendronotus dalli? from California
August 13, 2001
From: Dave Behrens
Bill:
I concur. With 4 pairs of gills, Bruce's slug would be D. diversicolor.
Dave.
dave@seachallengers.com
Behrens, D., 2001 (Aug 13) Re: Dendronotus dalli? from California. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5048Thanks Dave,
Bill Rudman
Re: Dendronotus dalli? from California
August 10, 2001
From: Bruce Wight
Dear Bill,
I think you are right in thinking our Dendronotus is not Dendronotus dalli. Thanks, I will update my slide index. Do you think it could be a Dendronotus albus for we saw many of them on the trip? Do they have the indicative white line also?
Concerning your question about eggs - No, those are not eggs in the background, they are the club-tipped tentacles of the sea anemone Corynactis californica.
Bruce
bwproductions@earthlink.net
Wight, B., 2001 (Aug 10) Re: Dendronotus dalli? from California. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5041Dear Bruce,
Now that you tell me, I can see the orange trunk of the sea anemone in the photo.
Concerning the identification of the Dendronotus, I hesitate to comment on the Californian fauna when there are so many others better qualified to do so. My understanding is that D. albus also has the opaque white line on the 'tail' but it usually has more than four pairs of cerata (usually 5-7), and usually has the cerata tipped with orange-yellow, although in rare cases this colour is absent. D. diversicolor has a white form that looks like your photo but I would rather a local expert confirms its identity for us.
A photo of 'typical' D. albus would be a nice addition to the Forum if you have any.
Cheers,
Bill Rudman
Dendronotus dalli? from California
August 9, 2001
From: Bruce Wight
Hi Doc,
Here are some photos from our recent trip to San Miguel Island which is the northern most of our Channel Islands off the California coast. These two images were taken by my wife and are of a Dendronotus dalli. She took the photographs in about 60 feet of water on one of the high spots off San Miguel Island. They were feeding on the hydroid Aglaophenia.
Bruce
bwproductions@earthlink.net
Wight, B., 2001 (Aug 9) Dendronotus dalli? from California. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5040Dear Bruce,
Thanks very much for these photos. Are those its eggs in the top photo?
I didn't realise that Dendronotus dalli extended as far south as California. In the lower photo there seems to be an opaque white line down the tail which I think is a character of D. diversicolor [see Clinton Bauder's photo]. Could this perhaps be a white colour form of that species?
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Dendronotus diversicolor from Canada
February 22, 2001
From: Marli Wakeling
Here's a lovely colour variation of Dendronotus diversicolour which I haven't seen before. They are usually white with orange tips. This is from Agamemnon Channel on the Sechelt Pennisula in British columbia, Canada. Depth 40 feet. Animal is 2cm. in length.
Marli
scubamarli@excite.com
Wakeling, M., 2001 (Feb 22) Dendronotus diversicolor from Canada. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3800Thanka Marli,
I was going to ask you for a photo of the usual colour form but by chance, Clinton Bauder just has. Do you also find Dendronotus albus there? If so, how can you distinguish from the white form of D. diversicolor?
Bill Rudman
Dendronotus diversicolor from California
February 22, 2001
From: Clinton Bauder
I found this pretty slug at a depth or about 20 meters at Mono Lobo Wall in Carmel, CA. I'm pretty sure it's Dendronotus diversicolor. Dendronotus albus is similar and more common in the Monterey area but its cerata are always tipped in orange or brown as opposed to the white on this animal. This individual was about 40mm long.
Clinton
gecko1@apple.com
Bauder, C., 2001 (Feb 22) Dendronotus diversicolor from California. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3849Dear Clinton,
Thanks for this. It complements a photo of a different colour form I have been sent by Marli Wakeling.
Bill Rudman
