Nembrotha rosannulata
Pola, Cervera & Gosliner, 2008
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Nembrothinae
DISTRIBUTION
Eastern Australia [known only from northern New South Wales & sthn Great Barrier Reef]
PHOTO
Little Wreck, Cabbage Tree Island, Port Stephens, NSW Australia. Depth: 14 metres. Length: 100 mm. 03 September 2005. Sandy bottom with large colony of Sigillina cyanea on the edge of an island just outside the harbour. Photo: Leanne & David Atkinson
Large dull green nembrothid with the body textured with rounded longitudinal ridges and scattered raised pustules of various sizes. The pustules are black and each is surrounded by a pink ring which give this species its characteristic colour pattern - and name. The rhinophores are black, and the pink rhinophores sheaths are edged in black. The front of the mantle has a pink band which is edged in black and the oral tentacles are pink with black tips. The gill stalks and branches are pink while the gill pinnae are black.
This species grows to at least 12 cm in length alive and present information suggest it feeds exclusively on the stalked ascidian Sigillina cyanea.
Nomenclatural note: As noted by Pola et al (2008) in their recent description of this species, Debelius & Kuiter (2007) ignored advice from reviewers and used the name Nembrotha rosannulata before it was formally published. Their usage has no status in zoological nomenclature, but again emphasises the care taxonomists need to take in keeping new names secret until formal publication.
- Pola, M., Cervera, J.L. and Gosliner, T.M. 2008. Revision of the Indo-Pacific genus Nembrotha (Nudibranchia: Dorididae: Polyceridae), with description of two new species. Scientia Marina 72(1): 145-183.
Rudman, W.B., 2008 (March 3) Nembrotha rosannulata Pola, Cervera & Gosliner, 2008. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/nembrosa
Related messages
Re: Nembrotha rosannulata mating
September 23, 2008
From: Bruce Potter
Concerning message #21460:
I notice that David and Leanne have sent several messages about Nembrotha roseannulata and they have all shown the same colour variation. In reviewing some of my old photos I came across this one showing an interesting pairing of two different colour forms.
Locality: Cabbage Tree island, 12 metres, NSW, Pacific Ocean, April 2006, sand and sea grass. Length: 100 mm. Photographer: Bruce Potter.
Bruce Potter.
potter@connect.com.fj
Potter, B., 2008 (Sep 23) Re: Nembrotha rosannulata mating. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21912
Dear Bruce,
Thanks for checking through your photos. This is a good example of how we learn new things all the time. I don't recall seeing this white-ringed colour form before so capturng mating with the pink-ringed animal is pretty convincing evidence they are the same species. In the close-up alongside I see traces of the pink colouration in a couple of places.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Nembrotha rosannulata mating
March 20, 2008
From: Leanne & David Atkinson
Concerning message #14729:
Dear Bill,
We found these Nembrotha rosannulata mating at the weekend. Although it is not in the photo they were close to a few Sigillina cyanea, their food. We thought you might like the photos to complete the behaviour information on Nembrotha rosannulata.
Locality: Little Wreck, Cabbage Tree Island, East of Port Stephens, part of the Port Stephens- Great Lakes Marine Park, 12 metres, New South Wales, Australia, Pacific, 16 March 2008, Sandy bottom with scattered sea grass and ascidians. Length: 100 mm. Photographer: Leanne & David Atkinson.
Best wishes,
Leanne & David Atkinson
atk@hunterlink.net.au
Atkinson, L. & D., 2008 (Mar 20) Nembrotha rosannulata mating. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21460
Thanks Leanne & David,
Every bit of new information helps
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Nembrotha rosannulata laying eggs
March 3, 2008
From: Leanne & David Atkinson
Dear Bill,
We were thrilled to find lots of Nembrotha rosannulata or Donut Nembrothas at the weekend. There were adults, juveniles and egg rings. They were all on Sigillina cyanea. Brett Murrell even found one laying eggs.We've attached the photos of the egg laying. One photo shows the right side with the eggs coming out. The other photo showed the left side with the tail curling the ring. It was laying them on its food Sigillina cyanea. The water was a crisp 17 degrees celcius. The water was quite surgey as you can see from the gills moving in the photos.
Locality: Little Wreck, Cabbage Tree Island, Port Stephens, NSW Australia. Depth: 14 metres. Length: 100 mm. 03 September 2005
Sandy bottom with large colony of Sigillina cyanea on the edge of an island just ouside the harbour. Photo: Leanne & David Atkinson
Regards,
Leanne & David Atkinson
atk@hunterlink.net.au
Atkinson, L.& D., 2008 (Mar 3) Nembrotha rosannulata laying eggs. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14729
Thanks Leanne & David,
As you can all see from the collection date this message has been waiting a while to be posted. I feel a bit guilty, but as I said before, if I had realised how long we would be waiting I would have posted this message without a name. Any way it is wonderful to be able to anounce a new species and simultaneously show photos of its food and egg ribbon. I wish we could do that with all nudibranchs.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Feeding in Nembrotha rosannulata
March 3, 2008
From: Leanne & David Atkinson
Dear Bill,
Here is another photo of Nembrotha rosannulata from Cabbage Tree Island off Port Stephens, NSW. They were eating the heads of Sigillina cyanea. One was laying a yellow egg ribbon.They were at 12 m.
It is a "grab" from video as we were out of film and the movie light was dead, sorry about the quality. As we were looking at the video we found a commensal shrimp on it !
Regards,
Leanne & David Atkinson
atk@hunterlink.net.au
Atkinson, L.& D., 2008 (Mar 3) Feeding in Nembrotha rosannulata. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12582Thanks Leanne & David,
I have included this photo because it shows the shape of the ascidian colony very well. For those of you unfamiliar with this ascidian it grows as thich rounded upright stalks, often branches or multiple stalks in larger colonies.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
Feeding habits of Nembrotha rosannulata
March 3, 2008
From: Leanne & David Atkinson
Dear Bill,
Here are some photos of the recently described Nembrotha rosannulata which Neville Coleman has called the Donut Nembrotha in 1001 Nudibranchs. Nobody we've contacted about this species of Nembrotha seems to know much about them, except that they are commonly associated with Sigillina cyanea. We have also found them on Sigillina cyanea on a sandy substrate both times we have them.
Location: Little Wreck, Cabbage Tree Is. East of Port Stephens, NSW, Australia. Depth: 12 m Length: 10 cm. Date: 8 May 2004
Yours sincerely,
Leanne & David Atkinson
atk@hunterlink.net.au
Atkinson, L.& D., 2008 (Mar 3) Feeding habits of Nembrotha rosannulata. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12735
Dear Leanne & David
I think it is about 4 years ago that you sent me this message, which arrived just when the Forum went into forced hibernation for a time. By the time I had the Forum running again I thought this species was about to be named so I thought I might as well wait until it had a published name. It certainly has taken longer than I thought, but at last I can post your three messages with the name Nembrotha rosannulata.
From this and your other messages it seems that this species feeds exclusively on this dark bluish-black ascidian. I have other records of it feeeding on this same ascidian. This is a very distinctively coloured species of Nembrotha.
-
Pola, M., Cervera, J.L. and Gosliner, T.M. 2008. Revision of the Indo-Pacific genus Nembrotha (Nudibranchia: Dorididae: Polyceridae), with description of two new species. Scientia Marina 72(1): 145-183.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
