Eubranchus pallidus
(Alder & Hancock, 1842)
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Eubranchidae
DISTRIBUTION
European coast from the Barents Sea to the western Mediterranean. Also reported from New England, USA.
PHOTO
UPPER: 'Pallid' colour form. Burghsluis, de Oosterschelde, the Netherlands. Photo: Peter van Bragt.
LOWER: On rocks at Craig'n Gelt, Dunbar, east coast of Scotland. 6 - 11 metres, crawling over and among the weedy rock surfaces, 15 mm long alive. 27 May, 2001. Photo: Jim Anderson.
May reach about 25mm in length. Despite their name, they are usually not pale, and can often have a microscopic colour pattern of reds, oranges, gold and white. Feeds on a wide variety of hydroids.
Reference:
• Thompson, T.E. & Brown, G.H. (1984) Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs, Vol 2. Ray Society: London.
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (August 29) Eubranchus pallidus (Alder & Hancock, 1842). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/eubrpall
Related messages
Eubranchus pallidus from Maine, USA
October 5, 2003
From: Alan Shepard
Dear Bill -
I had the opportunity to head back to Eastport, Maine and do some more diving and was able to capture a photograph of a juvenile Eubranchus pallidus.
I was not sure of the identification as the coloration did not match any photos I had seen. However since Bernard Picton mentions in his book A Field Guide to the Nudibranchs of the British Isles that Alder & Hancock had a very pale individual as their type specimen, hence the name "pallidus", I thought I might also just have found a pale specimen. Not being sure I sent it to Dr. Larry Harris of the University of New Hampshire. He concurred that it indeed was a juvenile E. pallidus. This individual was at most 7mm long and was found in approximately 12m of water.
Best wishes,
Alan Shepard
Tolland, CT, USA
alan.chepard@snet.net
Shepard, A., 2003 (Oct 5) Eubranchus pallidus from Maine, USA. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11068Thanks Alan,
Bill Rudman
Eubranchus pallidus from Barents Sea
July 9, 2002
From: Irina Roginskaya
Dear Bill,
Here are two photos of Eubranchus pallidus {Alder et Hancock ,1842} I collected long ago, in July 1965, from the intertidal zone of the Bolshoy Aynov Island /69o 50' N, 31o 34'E/., in the Barents Sea. These specimens were crawling on the rocky platform covered with diverse macroalgae and hydroids. The first picture is of a 6mm specimen. The second photo of a 8mm specimen. On the third photo are the radular teeth of the second specimen.
References.
• Roginskaya I.S. (1998) The records of Eubranchus pallidus (Alder et Hancock,1842) {Nudibranchia, Eubranchidae} from Aynovskye Islands (West Murman) {Barents Sea, Kandalaksha State Preserve}. Opisthobranch Newsletter, 24(9): 39.
Irina Roginskaya
irina7@hotmail.com
Thanks Irina,
This colour form seems to be very distinctive - much more so than the 'pallid' form from which this species got its name.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Eubranchus pallidus from Scotland
June 26, 2002
From: Jim Anderson
Dear Dr. Rudman,
Attached is an image of an animal of Eubranchus pallidus photographed last year.
Data: On rocks at Craig'n Gelt, Dunbar on the east coast of Scotland. Water temperature 12 deg. C. Between 6 and 11 metres there were many of these beautiful little animals crawling over and among the weedy rock surfaces, this one is a 15 mm long specimen. 27 May, 2001.
Kind regards,
Jim A.
jander4454@aol.com
Anderson, J., 2002 (Jun 26) Eubranchus pallidus from Scotland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7325Thanks Jim,
As Bernard Picton noted in an earlier message, Alder & Hancock appeared to later regret naming this species 'pallida' on subsequently finding much more startling colour forms, than the 'pallid' colourless ones they named the species from.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: Eubranchus from France
September 23, 2000
From: Bernard Picton
Hi Bill,
I don't get much time to follow the Forum these days so I'd missed several species where you were looking for an opinion.
I think the Eubranchus from France, is Eubranchus pallidus - quite variable in the amount of pigment on its body, Alder & Hancock wanted to rename it 'picta' as the later examples they saw were far from pallid! On the other hand I did once have a specimen a bit like this which I was very doubtful about - I'll see if I can find the photos. The one I have on my website is a big fat dark-coloured one.
Bernard
bernard.picton.um@nics.gov.uk
Picton, B., 2000 (Sep 23) Re: Eubranchus from France. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3066Thanks Bernard,
It's good to remove a few from the 'unidentified' file.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
Re: Eubranchus? from France
August 31, 2000
From: Juan Lucas Cervera
Dear Bill,
The photo has not enough quality, but, maybe, could be Eubranchus exiguus (Alder & Hancock, 1849) ... but I'm not sure.
Regards.
Lucas.
lucas.cervera@uca.es
Cervera, J.L., 2000 (Aug 31) Re: Eubranchus? from France. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2942Thanks Lucas,
Bill Rudman.
Eubranchus? from France
August 29, 2000
From: Erwin Koehler
Dear Bill,
Here is the next one is from the Bassin d'Arcachon, south-west Atlantic coast of France.
Size 8 mm, depth 4 m, nightdive at April 13, 2000.
The photo was made by Michel Barrabés
Email: m.barrabes@libertysurf.fr
Erwin
Medslugs.Koehler@t-online.de
Koehler, E., 2000 (Aug 29) Eubranchus? from France. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2941Dear Erwin,
It looks like a species of Eubranchus and I'm sure someone from Europe will be able to help us identify it.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
Eubranchus pallidus from the Netherlands
August 31, 1999
From: Peter H. van Bragt
Dear Bill,
Here is a photo of Eubranchus pallidus to add to the Netherlands' List.
Location: Upper Right, Lower Left: Burghsluis, de Oosterschelde, the Netherlands
Lower Right: Zierikzee (Zeelandbrug), de Oosterschelde, the Netherlands
With best regards
Peter H. van Bragt
Peter.vanBragt@ftn.hsbrabant.nl
