Facelina sp. 1

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Glaucidae

PHOTO

The "Dekel" beach. Israel. Red Sea. Depth: ~15 meters. Length: ~4 cm (first), ~3 cm (second). 12 May 2005. Photographer: Oren Lederman

See accompanying message. This may not be a species of Facelina.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2005 (May 16) Facelina sp. 1 [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/facesp1

Related messages


Re: Facelina sp .1 from the Red Sea

May 28, 2005
From: Binyamin Koretz

Hi Bill,

If it's any help in ID-ing, here are a couple more photos of the aeolid you've named Facelina sp. 1, with a close-up of the head.

This species seemed to appear on the scene only a month ago and now it can be found at many dive sites along the several kilometers of Eilat coast.

Locality: Eilat, Lighthouse Beach, Israel, Red Sea (Gulf of Eilat). Depth: 16 m. Length: ca. 2.5 cm. 9 April 2005. patch reef. Photographer: Binyamin and Shulamit Koretz

Best regards,
Binyamin

binyamin@koretz.net

Koretz, B., 2005 (May 28) Re: Facelina sp .1 from the Red Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13805

Thanks Binyamin,
Every bit helps. I have had a further look for a name but I am pretty sure it is an unnamed species.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (May 28). Comment on Re: Facelina sp .1 from the Red Sea by Binyamin Koretz. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13805

Facelina? from the Red Sea

May 17, 2005
From: Oren Lederman

Hi Bill,

I think this is a Facelina rhodopos. I believe that there are two different nudis in the photos i attached. While taking a photo of the first one, one of the divers caused a small gush of water. Afterwards i couldn't find this first one, but i saw a small "ball" carried in the current, landing on the surface of the rock, unfolding, revealing a beautiful Facelina. It appears to be smaller, and slightly different, so i believe it's a different one.

Locality: The "Dekel" beach. Israel. Red Sea. Depth: ~15 meters. Length: ~4 cm (first), ~3 cm (second). 12 May 2005. Photographer: Oren Lederman

Oren Lederman

lederman@bigmail.co.il

Lederman, O., 2005 (May 17) Facelina? from the Red Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13794

Thanks Oren,
It certainly has similarities to Facelina rhodopos but that species has lamellate rhinophores while your animal has smooth ones. That species is not so spectacularly coloured either. It has remarkable similarities in colour to Godiva quadricolor but that species doesn't have smooth rhinophores, and the position of the blue and red-orange bands on the cerata are reversed. But the colour markings on the head, rhinophores and oral tentacles are almost identical.

Without some anatomical information I can't even guess a genus so I will just call it Facelina sp. 1. I agree that you had 2 animals. If you have a look at the close-up alongside there is an extra set of oral tentacles and rhinophores!

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (May 17). Comment on Facelina? from the Red Sea by Oren Lederman. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13794