Oxynoe sp. 4
Order: SACOGLOSSA
Superfamily: OXYNOOIDEA
Family: Oxynoidae
DISTRIBUTION
Reported on Forum from Palau, Chuuk & Guam (Carlson & Hoff) and Marshall Ids (Scott Johnson).
PHOTO
Locality: Guam, Bile Bay, 11 m, IP, 31 May 1971. Length: 7.0 mm. Photographer: Carlson & Hoff.
Pale greenish yellow, with large bright blue spots in patches between areas of large pointed tubercles. Distinctive dark blackish diagonal lines forming areticulate pattern on body and parapodia.
This appears to be a relatively small species, with Carlson & Hoff (#20565) reporting it to grow to 12 mm in length, but usually smaller than that; they report it usually on Caulerpa filicoides and once C. fastigiata.
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2007 (August 25) Oxynoe sp. 4 [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/oxynsp4
Related messages
Re: Oxynoe sp.4 from nthn Mariana Islands
April 18, 2008
From: Takao Urasawa
Concerning message #20565:
Dear Dr.Bill,
Here are three pictures of Oxynoe sp. 4. I saw one more animal, same size, at same place.
Locality: LauLau Beach, 6 m, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Pacific Ocean, 30 December 2007, on the Rock where algae grow. Length: 5 mm. Photographer: Takao Urasawa.
Best regards,
Ura
ds-with@isletwind.com
Takao Urasawa, 2008 (Apr 18) Re: Oxynoe sp.4 from nthn Mariana Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21400
Thanks Ura,
This species has a very distinctive colour pattern. I have included a close-up alongside because it shows the typical shape of the rhinophores with a groove along the outside which draws water into the mantle cavity, which is inside the enclosed shell. At the bottom right of the photo, we can see the opening of the tube-like exhalent siphon which funnels water out of the mantle cavity.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: A new? Oxynoe from the Marshall Islands
August 27, 2007
From: Clay Carlson
Concerning message #20521:
Bill,
As far as we know, this is an undescribed species of Oxynoe. We have it from Palau & Chuuk as well as Guam. Our largest measured specimen was 12mm; the average of those measured (9), 6.7 mm. The host has generally been Caulerpa filicoides --the only exception was a large population found in a protected area in Palau on C. fastigiata.
Locality: Guam, Bile Bay, 11 m, IP, 31 May 1971. Length: 7.0 mm. Photographer: Carlson & Hoff.
Clay Carlson
ccarlson@guam.net
Carlson & Hoff, 2007 (Aug 27) Re: A new? Oxynoe from the Marshall Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20565Thanks Clay,
I'll call it Oxynoe sp. 4.
Bill Rudman
Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Aug 27). Comment on Re: A new? Oxynoe from the Marshall Islands by Clay Carlson. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20565A new? Oxynoe from the Marshall Islands
August 25, 2007
From: Scott Johnson
Hi Bill,
I'm uncertain about this one. When I first saw this small 7 mm long animal, I thought it looked like a Colpodaspis. Then under magnification, I thought the head didn't look quite right, and that it could have been something like a tiny Oxynoe. I don't know either of those groups very well. I know it's hard to tell much since the resolution of these pics suffered from being blown up, but I was hoping you might recognize it. This specimen, found at Enewetak in 1983, was the only one I'd seen until a few weeks ago, when Jeanette saw four even smaller specimens that appeared to be depositing eggs on a large flake of living Halimeda. After processing, we should have some photos of these.
Locality: Enewetak Atoll, 12 m, Marshall Islands, Pacific, 5 April 1983, On Halimeda algae. Length: 7 mm. Photographer: Scott Johnson.
Scott Johnson
uwkwaj@yahoo.com
Johnson, S., 2007 (Aug 25) A new? Oxynoe from the Marshall Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20521
Dear Scott,
From the general shape I am sure this is a species of Oxynoe. In Colpodaspis, the shell, if present, is completely enclosed by the mantle while in your animal the warty parapodia only partly encloses the shell. The coloured bit in the middle between the parapodia, with bright blue spots, is the mantle which lines the inside of the transparent shell. I can't say I recall a species of Oxynoe with warty tubercles and reticulate lines like this, so it's possible this is an unnamed species. Hopefully Kathe Jensen has a comment
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
