Noumea simplex
(Pease, 1871)
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Chromodorididae
DISTRIBUTION
Tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean.
PHOTO
UPPER RIGHT: Noumea simplex, sitting on their pink food sponge, probably a species of Darwinella. One animal has a distinct orange border to the mantle, the other doesn't. Angourie Pools, North Coast, New South Wales, November 1987. (C154580)
LOWER PHOTOS: Yamba, North coast New South Wales, March 1982 showing an almost white colour form (LEFT)(c132975) and specimen (RIGHT)(c132998) with distinct broken orange line along the mantle edge.
PHOTOS: Bill Rudman.
Small chromodorid ranging in colour from white to pink, sometimes with a broken orange mantle border. Gills and rhinophore clubs tipped in deep orange. The gills do not 'vibrate' or wave rhythmically in this species.
Reference:
• Pease, W.H. (1871). Descriptions of new species of nudibranchiate Mollusca inhabiting Polynesia. No. 2. American Journal of Conchology, 7(1): 11-19, Pls 3-9.
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (March 14) Noumea simplex (Pease, 1871). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/noumsim
Related messages
Noumea simplex ? from the Red Sea
July 31, 2007
From: Binyamin Koretz
Hi Bill,
This appears to be a bit of a range extension for Noumea simplex, but that's what it seems to be, don't you think?
Locality: Eilat, Satil Area, 24 m, Israel, Red Sea (Gulf of Eilat), 07 July 2007 (night), sea grass and patch reef. Length: 9 mm. Photographer: Binyamin and Shulamit Koretz.
best regards
Binyamin
binyamin@koretz.net
Dear Binyamin,
It certainly seems to be N. simplex. I wondered if it might be N. nivalis but the pinkish tinge makes that most unlikely. My only doubt is that the mantle skirt seems to be a bit wider and not as thick as in N. simplex, buts that is a hard character to quantify. I guess we would need to look at its anatomy to be completely sure. It is an interesting find
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Noumea simplex on the Sunshine Coast
December 2, 2003
From: Gary Cobb
Hi Bill!
Please find attached Noumea simplex we found on the wall off Old Woman Island, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Depth: 12m
Temp: 22C
Length: 8mm
Date: 29 November 2003
Gary Cobb
gary@cobb.com.au
Cobb, G., 2003 (Dec 2) Noumea simplex on the Sunshine Coast. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11568Dear Gary,
It certainly shows all the characteristics of this species, orange-tipped gills and rhinophores, and a few orange smudges on the pinkish mantle
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
Noumea simplex from Christmas Island
May 8, 2002
From: W.B. Rudman
Here is some information and photos on Noumea simplex from John Hicks' Christmas Island, Indian Ocean collections.
This specimen is 5 mm long.
PHOTO: AM C129118, 25 April 1981, north arm of Cantilever, 10 m, Christmas Is., Indian Ocean. Photo: John Hicks
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Noumea simplex clustering
August 22, 2001
From: Scott Johnson
Hi Bill,
Here are some shots of Noumea simplex taken at Enewetak, Marshall Islands. They show animals on their pink food sponge. The third shows several animals tightly clustered together on their sponge prey, similar to the clustering in T. Kenji's photo of N. subnivalis and the N. decussata I sent separately.
Scott
johnson@kmr.ll.mit.edu
Thanks Scott,
These photos also show the way the mantle 'bulges' on each side in a number of these species of Noumea.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Noumea simplex - egg ribbon
August 22, 2001
From: Scott Johnson
Hi Bill,
Here are some photos of the egg ribbon of Noumea simplex taken at Enewetak, Marshall Islands. They are from two of the same shots I sent recently to show clustering but in this case are enlarged to show the egg ribbons.
In the UPPER photo are two egg ribbons, one partly laid over the other. This photo is an enlarged section of the MIDDLE photo which also shows a cluster of animals near the egg ribbon. The LOWER photo shows a single egg ribbon.
Scott
johnson@kmr.ll.mit.edu
Johnson, S., 2001 (Aug 22) Noumea simplex - egg ribbon. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5122Thanks Scott,
We are gradually building up a useful collection of egg ribbons on the Forum. It is interesting how some species, like Noumea simplex, have a very open spiral, sometimes hardly a spiral at all.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: Noumea? from American Samoa
July 9, 2001
From: Don Barclay
Hi Bill,
Here's a nudibranch I found today that should support your conclusion about the red-margined Noumea being Noumea simplex. It was found about 50 meters from the spot where the previous one was found, in the same habitat, and appears to be more typical.
It was found just after noon at low tide on 6 July 2001, under a slab encrusted with red coralline algae (but no magenta sponge)in about one meter of water, Utulei "Tank Farm," American Samoa. Length 12mm.
Cheers,
Don
n5ols@samoatelco.com
Barclay, D., 2001 (Jul 9) Re: Noumea? from American Samoa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4792Dear Don,
This photo is definitely of Noumea simplex. I'm afraid close proximity is not always a good test of close relationships. I have found three species of Noumea on the same small sponge colony. However your photo certainly shows that N. simplex occurs in Samoa.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Noumea? from American Samoa
January 26, 2001
From: Don Barclay
Hello Bill,
Here are some pics of a small nudibranch I found on 18 January 2001. It looks closest to the photos of Noumea simplex, except for the reddish-orange border. You commented on Valda Fraser's Noumea cf. sudanica that N. simplex may have red streaks but never a complete border, so perhaps this is something different. The rhinophore (it apparently lost one) is red tipped, as are the gills.
The nudibranch was found on a "hot pink" or magenta sponge, and had eaten a notch in it several millimeters deep. I didn't have the camera with me so I didn't get a photo of the sponge, though I did mark its location. The slug wasn't particularly well camouflaged, as the sponge was quite a bit darker in color.
It was collected in approximately one meter of water under a lava boulder an hour after high tide, just south of the "Tank Farm" on the reef flat, Utulei village, American Samoa. It was about 20mm long, outstretched.
Looking forward to your opinion, many thanks,
Don
n5ols@samoatelco.com
Dear Don,
I did indeed say Noumea simplex doesn't have a continuous mantle border, but I am pretty sure you have proved me wrong. In all other features it is N. simplex. Even the border has the look of elongate patches merging with each other rather than a complete single line. It is an interesting find.
Bill Rudman
Noumea simplex from Okinawa
October 9, 1999
From: Bob Bolland
Hi Bill,
I've enclosed 4 (relatively poor quality) JPEGs of two different Noumea species, along with some of the associated collection data. I was hoping that you might perhaps feature a series of Noumea species on the site, when you can find the time to do so. Really appreciate your featuring entire groups, as with the recent Phyllidiella series.
Are these two Noumea simplex?
UPPER: Horseshoe Cliffs, Okinawa (original photo at 1.5:1); TL: 12mm; from 30m; 3 April, 1992 (RFB2952-C)
LOWER: Horseshoe Cliffs, Okinawa (original photo at 2.8:1); Notum: 10mm; from 9m; 29 March 1997. (RFB3571-A)
Cheers,
Bob
bolland@imicom.or.jp
Bolland, R.F., 1999 (Oct 9) Noumea simplex from Okinawa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1411Thanks Bob,
I can certainly put some Noumea species on the list. As you suggest, I think this is a white form of Noumea simplex. When I get myNoumea material organised I will add some photos of its colour range from white to pink.
I have put your other two photos as a separate message.
Bill Rudman.
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (Oct 9). Comment on Noumea simplex from Okinawa by Bob Bolland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1411Re: Chromodorid at Point Cartwright
March 17, 1998
From: Wayne Ellis
Found two more Noumea simplex (5mm & 8mm). Appeared to be in the act of mating (under a rock at the low tide area at Point Cartwright, Moloolaba Qld). There was also two egg masses 5mm in diameter as well. They looked like clear gel.
Regards
Wayne Ellis
glaskin@ozemail.com.au
Ellis, W., 1998 (Mar 17) Re: Chromodorid at Point Cartwright. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/89Chromodorid at Point Cartwright
February 3, 1998
From: Wayne Ellis
Bill,
Found a small "chromodorid" at Point Cartwright, Maroochydore, sthn Queensland, 2/2/98, intertidal. 4mm long. Body pink, margin border white with orange/red irregular patches along the border. Rhinophores, white base, top third orange/red. Gills white base, orange/red tips.Foot & tail white. I have a couple of average photos taken at Lord Howe in 87 of the same species & about the same size. Sorry I couldn't see it's radula, it wouldn't smile without the camera! Also found two 2 & 4 mm Discodoris c/f concinnas & two Dendrodoris c/f nigras 4 & 12m.
Regards
Wayne Ellis
glaskin@ozemail.com.au
Ellis, W., 1998 (Feb 3) Chromodorid at Point Cartwright. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/88It is Noumea simplex. There are a group of these little pink chromodorids all very similarly coloured. One interesting thing to keep a look out for in these beasts is whether they wriggle their gills rhythmically..some species do, some like N. simplex don't... Bill Rudman
Rudman, W.B., 1998 (Feb 3). Comment on Chromodorid at Point Cartwright by Wayne Ellis. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/88