Flabellina capensis
(Thiele, 1925)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Flabellinidae

DISTRIBUTION

South Africa. Known only from Oudekraal on the Atlantic coast of Cape Peninsula to Port Elisabeth (Gosliner, 1987).

PHOTO

Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Photo: Charles Rowe.

The animals are translucent greyish brown, with red or brown digestive gland ducts colouring the cerata. There is also a most distinctive pattern of opaque white lines. There is a white line running along the dorsal surface of each oral tentacle which join on the head just in front of the rhinophores. Each ceras has an anterior and posterior white line running along its length, and there is another white line running along the dorsal midline, from the posterior tip of the foot forward some distance. The rhinophores are relatively short and are described as 'rugose', meaning they have small rounded irregular bumps all over them. The animals are extremely active and bristle their cerata when disturbed. It grows to 43 mm in length.

  • Gosliner, T.M. & Griffiths, R.J. (1981) Description and revision of some South African aeolidacean Nudibranchia (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Annals of the South African Museum, 84(2): 105-150.
  • Gosliner, T.M. (1987) Nudibranchs of Southern Africa, a guide to the Opisthobranchs of southern Africa. Sea Challengers, Monterey. 136 pages.
  • Thiele, J. 1925. Gastropoda der Deutschen Tiefsee--Expedition. II Teil. Wissenschaftliche ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-
    expedition auf dem Dampfer "Valdivia" 1898-1899    , 17(2):38-382, pls.13-46. [Nudibranchia pp. 284-288, pls. 33-34]
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2005 (January 28) Flabellina capensis (Thiele, 1925). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/flabcape

Related messages


Flabellina capensis from South Africa

January 29, 2005
From: Charles Rowe

Hi Bill,
Here is another photo I would like identified. No matter how hard I look I can't find out where I originally took this one but it is almost certainly one of the dive sites here in Port Elizabeth as some of the other animals in the photo are familiar. 

Thanks,
Charles.

Charles.rowe@gmsa.com

Rowe, C., 2005 (Jan 29) Flabellina capensis from South Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13041

Dear Charles,
This is Flabellina capensis. I forgive the lack of locality information as this is another new species for the Forum.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Jan 29). Comment on Flabellina capensis from South Africa by Charles Rowe. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13041