Roboastra arika
Burn, 1967

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Nembrothinae

PHOTO

Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. 15 metres, December 8, 1997. 28 mm long. Photo: Julie Marshall.

Note added 16 August 2005: This species is now on the Forum asTambja victoriae . The real Roboastra arika is probably a synonym of Roboastra gracilis.

ARCHIVE NOTE:  An earlier edition of this Fact Sheet [17 Jan 2001] is available on request.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2005 (August 16) Roboastra arika Burn, 1967. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/roboarik

Related messages


Roboastra arika from Durban, South Africa

June 13, 2001
From: Kirsty Miller


Dear Bill
I found this nudibranch on a wreck off Durban, South Africa, at a depth of 16 m. Its size is 4.5 cm. I think it could be of the family Polyceridae. Could you please help me with an ID

Thanks
Kirsty Miller

divegirl@xsinet.co.za

Miller, K., 2001 (Jun 13) Roboastra arika from Durban, South Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4498

Dear Kirsty,
This is Roboastra arika which has been reported from the Maldives, Thailand and the south western pacific (trop Australia and Papua New Guinea) so this is an interesting find.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Jun 13). Comment on Roboastra arika from Durban, South Africa by Kirsty Miller. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4498

Roboastra arika from the Solomon Islands

January 19, 2001
From: Mary Jane Adams


Hi Bill,
I can't figure this one out. It looks like a Nembrotha sp. to me. It was crawling rapidly over encrusted junk at the Ghavutu Island dumpsite in the Florida Islands, Solomon Islands.
Crawling length: 21 mm
Depth: 15 meters
Water temp: 84 F
Dec. 3, 2000
Can you ID it?
Thanks,
Mary Jane

divepng@yahoo.com

Adams, M.J., 2001 (Jan 19) Roboastra arika from the Solomon Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3562

Dear Mary Jane,
The bright blue often visible in this species makes it a favourite of photographers to the Great Barrier Reef. It was named, by Bob Burn, Roboastra arika, a genus related to Nembrotha.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Jan 19). Comment on Roboastra arika from the Solomon Islands by Mary Jane Adams. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3562