Herviella albida
Baba, 1966
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Glaucidae
DISTRIBUTION
Known previously from Japan and possibly Great Barrier Reef.
PHOTO
Aquarium photo of unknown origin (possibly Fiji). Photo: Todd Bretl
Small translucent aeolid with scattered white marks on head and body. In original description there is also a U-jhaped black line on head, and a curved black line on each side of the back between the ceratal clusters.The oral tentacles and rhinophores are white tipped with a blackish band below the white. Cerata have two broad white bands, one just below the tip and another about halfway down.
This identification is tentative and would require a look at the anatomy to confirm the identity. Marshall & Willan identify a very similar animal from Heron Is as Herviella mietta Marcus & Burch, 1965. Marcus & Burch however describe heavy black pigmentation on the head, and sometimes all the body, in that species. The cerata are described as having a white cnidosac, not the two white bands seen in H. albida.
References:
• Baba, K (1960): The genus Herviella and a new species, H. affinis, from Japan (Nudibranchia - Eolidacea). Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory 8(2): 303-305.
• Baba, K (1966) Record of Herviella albida n. sp. from Seto, Kii, Japan (Nudibranchia - Eolidoidea). Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory 13(5): 361-363, Pl.15.
• Burn, R F (1967) Revision of the genus Herviella (Opisthobranchia: Eolidacea). Malacologia 6(1-2): 223-230.
• Marcus, Er., & Burch, J.B. (1965) Marine euthyneuran Gastropoda from Eniwetok Atoll, western Pacific. Malacologia, 3(2): 235-262.
See Herviella cloaca for further references on the genus.
See Herviella mietta
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (May 22) Herviella albida Baba, 1966. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/hervalbi
Related messages
Herviella albida from Hastings Point
December 19, 2003
From: Denis Riek
Dear Bill,
Here is a picture of Herviella albida from Hastings Point on the north coast of New South Wales [Australia]. It was found in a rock pool at low tide and in this area of NSW there are very few places to search at low tide. Hastings Point is one and although only a small area a large range of tropical gastropods occur here regularly including Conus & Mitridae.
This speciman was found November 2002 and was only 8-10mm. At that stage I had not been able to make a flash unit for my camera so the depth of field is not too good.
Regards
Denis Riek.
denisriek@hotmail.com
Riek, D., 2003 (Dec 19) Herviella albida from Hastings Point. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11704Dear Denis,
At this stage my identification of this species is tentative, but better here than being consigned to the 'unidentified'.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
Re: Herviella albida & Herviella mietta
May 30, 2001
From: Scott Johnson
Hi Bill,
During the period I was at Enewetak, the type locality of Marcus & Burchs' Herviella mietta, I never found anything that exactly matched their description. I did find the animal in e113-1, which I have been calling H. mietta. The other photo, also from Enewetak, is probably the same species, but it looked just enough different that I've kept it under a different species number, E325. Differences could have been due to size, since the two E325 each measured about 25mm long while three E113 specimens ranged from 6 to 9 mm in length.
Scott
johnson@kmr.ll.mit.edu
Johnson, S., 2001 (May 30) Re: Herviella albida & Herviella mietta. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4436Thanks Scott,
After getting your message I remembered that Eveline Marcus, many years ago, sent me a box of copy slides of Jack Burch's material on which the Marcus & Burch Enewetak paper was based. Most of the photos were not good enought to identify the species, but as luck would have it, the one of Herviella mietta is good enough to distinguish its basic features. I have prepared a separate Herviella mietta page and included this photo. Perhaps the photo will trigger someone's memory. It certainly seems different from your animal and the one identified by Marshall & Willan as H. mietta.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Herviella albida in aquarium
May 28, 2001
From: Todd Bretl
Can anybody tell me what this is exactly.
The specimen was actually photographed in an aquarium. I believe he and what seems to be his mate, came in some rock from the Fiji Islands.
Thanks,
Todd Bretl
tbretl@bates.edu
Bretl, T., 2001 (May 28) Herviella albida in aquarium. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4244Dear Todd,
This is an aeolid nudibranch. It's a bit hard to identify these small animals without a more definite knowledge of where they came from. It looks quite like a species of Herviella, and looks very similar to the animal Marshall & Willan identify as Hervilla mietta from Heron Island. As I discuss at the top of the page I think it is more likely to be Hervilla albida
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
