Halgerda stricklandi
Fahey & Gosliner, 1999

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Dorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from Thailand, Andaman Sea.

PHOTO

UPPER: Holotype, 35mm long preserved. Ko Ha, Thailand, Andaman Sea, 13m deep. November 1997. PHOTO: Mark Strickland.
LOWER:Thailand, Similan Is., March 1999, PHOTO: Georg Heinze.

The species can be distinguished from other species of Halgerda by the large, bright orange-tipped, conical tubercles scattered over the dorsum, but which are not interconnected by ridges. Below each orange tip the tubercles have a band of opaque white. There are many smaller orange tubercles scattered amongst the larger tubercles. The rhinophore club is translucent yellow and there is a black line extending down the whole length of both the rhinophore club and stalk on the posterior midline. The anterior side of the club also has black pigmentation. The gill has black spots on the anterior sides of the four
branchial leaves. The foot has an orange margin.

This species has similarities to Halgerda carlsoni and Halgerda malesso. H. malesso has ridges and a network of orange lines, and H. carlsoni has fewer large, orange tubercles, and the small spots scattered all over the mantle are finer and not raised on tubercles.

See Erwin Koehler's message and other photo below.

Reference:
• Fahey, S.J. & Gosliner, T.M. (1999) Preliminary Phylogeny of Halgerda (Nudibranchia: Halgerdidae) from the tropical Indo-Pacific, with descriptions of three new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 51(11): 424-448.

NOTE: Until today this species had the temporary name Halgerda sp. 2.[Added 2 March 2000]

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (April 18) Halgerda stricklandi Fahey & Gosliner, 1999. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/halgstric

Related messages


Halgerda stricklandi from Burma (Myanmar)

March 31, 2003
From: Orhan Aytur

Hi Bill,
I am sending you a picture of a nudibranch that I think is Halgerda stricklandi. Could you please verify this? Thanks.

Date: January 2003
Dive site: Near Tower Rock
Location: Mergui Islands, Burma (Myanmar). Depth: 15-21m

Cheers,
Orhan

aytur@ee.bilkent.edu.tr

Aytur, O., 2003 (Mar 31) Halgerda stricklandi from Burma (Myanmar). [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9490

Dear Orhan,
Halgerda stricklandi is still a fairly unknown species so we don't know much about its colour variability. Although your animal seems to have a slightly denser covering of orange spots than usual, the relatively undeveloped ridges between the tubercles would suggest it is indeed H. stricklandi.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (Mar 31). Comment on Halgerda stricklandi from Burma (Myanmar) by Orhan Aytur. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9490

Halgerda stricklandi from Myanmar

March 20, 2003
From: Mary Jane Adams

Hi Bill,
I recently spent twenty days diving islands in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Thailand and Myanmar (the locals still call it Burma).
There are many branchs that seem to be unique to this area. Mark Strickland and Hans Tibboel, divemasters aboard the Ocean Rover, told me they find Halgerda stricklandi on many of these reefs, but it is not at all common. Hans found this one on the wall of an islet at 11 meters. The divesite, called "Western Rocky" is a series of sponge and coral covered rocky pinnacles. It is in southern Myanmar, so you can add this country to its distribution. It was about 6cm long. It was not crawling, but I didn't see any evidence of feeding. Feb. 25, 2003.
Best regards,
Mary Jane

divepng@yahoo.com

Adams, M.J., 2003 (Mar 20) Halgerda stricklandi from Myanmar. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9398

Thanks Mary Jane,
Your photos from this trip are proving very rewarding
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Halgerda stricklandi from Thailand

January 23, 2001
From: Erwin Koehler

Dear Bill,
Here are 2 Halgerda stricklandi from Thailand doing something,
Phi Phi Islands, divesite "Koh Bida Nok", depth 23m, size 42 + 36 mm,
date Jan. 02, 2000
Erwin

Medslugs.Koehler@t-online.de

Koehler, E., 2001 (Jan 23) Halgerda stricklandi from Thailand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3608

Thanks Erwin,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Jan 23). Comment on Halgerda stricklandi from Thailand by Erwin Koehler. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3608

Halgerda sp. 2. = H. stricklandi

March 3, 2000
From: Erwin Koehler

Bill,
Halgerda sp. 2. from Thailand has got a name, Halgerda stricklandi Fahey & Gosliner 1999. Have a look at http://siolibrary.ucsd.edu/slugsite/nudwk211.htm

Erwin

Medslugs.Koehler@t-online.de

Koehler, E., 2000 (Mar 3) Halgerda sp. 2. = H. stricklandi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2009

Dear Erwin,
Thanks for stirring my conscience enough to make this change. I have been meaning to but have given the growing list of messages a higher priority.

The recent paper by Shireen & Terry describes three more white and orange species of Halgerda and I gather there are more orange species yet to be published. If Terry or Shireen would like to send photos of the other two species, H. bacalusia and H. diaphana to the Forum I would be happy to add them.

Reference: Fahey, S.J. & Gosliner, T.M. Preliminary Phylogeny of Halgerda (Nudibranchia: Halgerdidae) from the tropical Indo-Pacific, with descriptions of three new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 51(11): 424-448.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2000 (Mar 3). Comment on Halgerda sp. 2. = H. stricklandi by Erwin Koehler. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2009

Re: Halgerda sp. 2 from Thailand

August 18, 1999
From: Shireen Fahey

Hi Bill,
I've been away for a few days and just saw the 12 August message regarding the Halgerda sp. from Thailand. It is indeed a Halgerda, and the new name will be revealed shortly! Terry Gosliner and I have this paper in press, due out soon, with a description of three new species. I'll send you the reprints as soon as they arrive from the publisher. Hope you are doing well.
All the best,
Shireen

sfahey@calacademy.org

Fahey, S., 1999 (Aug 18) Re: Halgerda sp. 2 from Thailand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1205

Thanks Shireen,
Look forward to the publication
Bill Rudman

Halgerda sp. from Thailand

August 12, 1999
From: Erwin Koehler


Bill,
Two photos by Georg Heinze, Thailand, Similan Is., March 1999, depth and size unrecorded.
I think it is Halgerda sp. (same as photo by Mark Strickland in Debelius p. 255)
Erwin

Medslugs.Koehler@t-online.de

Koehler, E., 1999 (Aug 12) Halgerda sp. from Thailand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1177

Erwin,
Certainly looks the same as the picture you refer to in Debelius. Perhaps Shireen Fahey, who is working on the genus at the moment, can help us out if it has a name.
Bill Rudman.