Nembrotha guttata
Yonow, 1993
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Nembrothinae
DISTRIBUTION
Known from Maldives, Indonesia, Philippines.
PHOTO
UPPER: Kudiboli Tilla, Felidu Atoll, Maldive Ids, at a depth of 21m. 21 Sept, 1993 Photo: John Chuk. LOWER: Heron Island [Great Barrier Reef, Qld, Australia], November 2001, 12 metres. 95 mm in length. Photo: Julie Marshall.
Black with scattered orange pustules all over body. Pustules can be edged with green. The foot bears an orange edge and there is an increased concentration of orange on the oral tentacles. The rhinophores are black, with an orange dusting on the anterior sides of the lamellae. Rhinophore pocket is black and edged with orange. Gills black with light green rachides.
Compare with N. cristata, N. kubaryana and red-spotted species
See message #21144 for discussion on possible synonymy with N. yonowae.
-
Yonow (1993) Opisthobranchs from the Maldive Islands, includng descriptions of seven new species (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Revue fr. Aquariol., 20: 97-130
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (July 12) Nembrotha guttata Yonow, 1993. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/nembgutt
Related messages
Nembrotha guttata? from North Sulawesi
May 19, 2007
From: Linda Ianniello
On a recent trip to Lembeh Strait in N. Sulawesi, I found this slug that I have been unable to identify, in spite of its distinctive colors. I finally figured out it might be a "curled up" Nembrotha, like the one from Erwin Koehler you are calling Nembrotha spp. Do you agree? Looking closely, one rhinophore is smaller than the other, and there is a shrimp sitting by the small rhinophore - a coincidence I hope!
Locality: Lembeh Strait, Police Pier dive site, N. Sulawesi. Indonesia. October 26, 2005. Muck dive. Photographer: Linda Ianniello
Linda Ianniello
lindai1@bellsouth.net
Ianniello, L., 2007 (May 19) Nembrotha guttata? from North Sulawesi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/15338
Dear Linda,
I am pretty sure your animal is Nembrotha guttata. Concerning the shrimp. It looks like there may be another one amongst the gills. Looking at the photo, I would say the rhinophore looks 'short' because it is partly retracted into the special pocket these animals have to protect their 'delicate structures' precisely from attacks like this.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
xxNembrotha guttata from NE Bali
May 19, 2007
From: Lindsay Warren
Dear Bill
A further locality record for a species already featured on the Forum. This time of what I believe to be Nembrotha guttata which I found on the Liberty Wreck off Tulamben.
Locality: Liberty Wreck, Tulamben, 49 ft / 15 m, NE Bali, Indonesia, Tropical Western Pacific, 11 May 2006 at 09:10. Length: 16 mm. Photographer: Lindsay Warren.
All the best
Lindsay
lwarren@datonomy.co.uk
Thanks Lindsay,
I am still in two minds about the validity of this species so it is good to get more records and colour variants
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Nembrotha juvenile(?) from Northern Sulawesi
October 9, 2002
From: Marli Wakeling
Hi Bill,
This looks like a Nembrotha kubaryana that changed its spots from green to orange! There is no orange trim on the mantle, however. Any ideas?
Location: Nudi Falls, Lembeh Straight, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Date: July, 2002
Depth: 40 feet
Length: 5mm
Photograph: Marli Wakeling
Cheers,
Marli
scubamarli@excite.com
Dear Marli.
I suspect this is Nembrotha guttata. See Julie Marshall's message from the Great Barrier Reef
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Nembrotha guttata from Heron Island
January 30, 2002
From: Julie Marshall
Dear Bill,
Attached are photos of a large red spotted Nembrotha found at Heron Island [Great Barrier Reef, Qld, Australia] in November 2001 which I am at present tentatively calling Nembrotha cf guttata. It was feeding on the blue ascidian, Clavelina moluccensis at 12 metres and was 95 mm in size.
This animal has a chocolate-brown body and the the pustules are pale green with large orange-red centres. The rhinophores are brown and the rhinophoral pockets are pale green with a red rim . The gills are chocolate brown with their outer faces pale green with some red splotches and tipped with red. There is a white rim round the margin of the foot and the foot sole is translucent. The oral tentacles are white.
Yonow's Nembrotha guttata, from the Indian Ocean, was described from a much smaller animal measuring 30 mm preserved. She described the mantle as black with only 30% of the red pustules edged in green.
Best wishes,
Julie Marshall
juliemarshall@netspace.net.au
Marshall, J., 2002 (Jan 30) Nembrotha guttata from Heron Island. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6072Thanks Julie,
On reflection I suspect this is Yonow's species. Your photos and John Chuk's fit her description much better than the animals I had concluded were N. guttata. I have moved them to a Nembrotha cf. guttata page. It is unfortunate that Yonow described her species from a single animal and a noyt very clear photo.
Your animal also seems to be identical to Lindsay Warren's photo from Sulawesi which I tentatively identified as Nembrotha cristata. In that message I discuss its similarities and differences with N. guttata.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Nembrotha guttata from the Maldives
January 23, 2002
From: John Chuk
Dear Bill,
Here is a photo of Nembrotha guttata from the Maldives to add to the page on the species.
The specimen was found on 21/9/93 at Kudiboli Tilla, Felidu Atoll, at a depth of 21m.
Best wishes,
John Chuk
jchuk@giant.net.au
Chuk, J., 2002 (Jan 23) Nembrotha guttata from the Maldives. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4853Thanks John,
This certainly seems to be a 'typical' N. guttata, but the red rhinophores and green gills seem to be rather unusual. I still think there is a way to go in sorting these animals out.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
Nembrotha cristata? from Sulawesi
July 23, 2000
From: Lindsay Warren
Dear Bill
I found this Nembrotha on 25 October 1999 at a depth of 10.7 m heading down some coralline algae on a vertical wall of Pulau Hoga, [Tukang Besi Archipelago, SE Sulawesi, Indonesia - Operation Wallacea]. Size: 43 mm.
Is this simply a colour variant of Nembrotha cristata which we normally find with only all green markings rather than green and orange as in this specimen.
Photo: Lindsay Warren
All the best
Lindsay
alldcl@compuserve.com
Warren, L., 2000 (Jul 23) Nembrotha cristata? from Sulawesi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/2748
Dear Lindsay,
This is an interesting photo. I wouldn't mind seeing some photos of 'normal Nembrotha cristata from Sulawesi. On first appearances it seems that it could be one of the colour forms of Nembrotha kubaryana but in all of those there is red or orange on the margin of the flattened oral tentacles (lappets).
Perhaps N. cristata and N. kubaryana are just part of a very variable species. Your photo showing both green and orange-red spots is very interesting. I'll put it on the N. cristata page, more from convenience than conviction.
Another interesting connection is Nembrotha guttata Yonow, 1993. It was described as
'Body pitch black with bright orange pustules scattered randomly ... approx 30% of pustules are edged in green. There are fewer than half a dozen dark green pustlues scattered between the orange ones.. The foot bears an orange edge - sole pitch black. Increased concentration of orange on oral tentacles which are quite prominent. Rhinophores black with orange dusting on anterior sides of lamellae. Black rhinophore sheath has orange edge with a touch of green on posterior side between black and orange. Gills black with light green rachides'.
Although your photo has points of difference with Yonow's description. it does make me wonder whether there is more colour variation in some of these species than we have considered possible. The pustules / tubercles on both your animal and Yonow's suggest they could both be in a change over phase between orange and green. It is certainly worth looking out for some more individuals and to check out whether they are ever found together, eat the same food etc.
Reference: Yonow (1993) Opisthobranchs from the Maldive Islands, includng descriptions of seven new species (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Revue fr. Aquariol., 20: 97-130
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
