Roboastra sp. 1
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Nembrothinae
DISTRIBUTION
Known only from Brazil
PHOTO
Brazil. Photo: Marcelo Krause
Authorship detailsRudman, W.B., 2003 (November 30) Roboastra sp. 1 [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/robosp1
Related messages
Re: Roboastra sp. from Brazil
December 2, 2003
From: Marta Pola
Dear Dr. Rudman,
My name is Marta Pola. I am a spanish PhD student who is making a world wide revision of the subfamily Nembrothinae. I am sure that the species of Roboastra from Brazil in Marcelo Krause's message is an unnamed species. It would be great if someone could collect some specimens in orden to describe it.
In addition, I would be make aware that a few days ago a description of a new species of Roboastra from Cape Verde was published. Therefore, R. europaea is not the only species of Roboastra from the Atlantic Ocean anymore.
The reference of this paper is:
• Pola et al (2003). The genus Roboastra in the Atlantic Ocean. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, V. 54 (22): 381-392
Best regards,
Marta
marta.pola@uca.es
Pola, M., 2003 (Dec 2) Re: Roboastra sp. from Brazil. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11527Thanks Marta,
I look forward to seeing your paper. I would be happy to include the species in the Forum if you would like to send me a photo and a summary
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
Roboastra sp. from Brazil
November 20, 2003
From: Marcelo Krause
Hi Dr. Rudman,
Some time ago I mailed some pictures for you of Brazilian sea slugs. Well, this weekend I found a different one, that I never have seem before. I contacted Carlo Magenta, a Brazilian sea slug expert and he suggested that the species might be the chromodorid Hypselodoris picta lajensis. I have seen that species before (they are quite common) but the color and perhaps even the stripes of the one that I photographed are different. I am sending you the link to the pictures, in case you want to take a look. I don't know if it is only some color variations or it may be a different kind,
Best regards,
Marcelo Krause
marcelo@underwater.com.br
Krause, M., 2003 (Nov 20) Roboastra sp. from Brazil. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11449
Dear Marcelo,
This is an interesting find. Although it has similarities to Hypselodoris picta lajensis in general colour, its shape is quite different. It is a member of the family Nembrothidae, and almost certainly a species of the genus Roboastra. In that genus the oral tentacles are very enlarged and rolled as can clealry be seen in your photos. Species of Roboastra are spectacular hunters, usually feeding on species of the related genus Tambja.
The only nembrothid I know from Brazil is Nembrotha divae Marcus, 1956 which was described as scarlet with white gills and white dots. From the radula description it is almost certainly a species of Tambja rather than Nembrotha. The only species of Roboastra that I know from the Atlantic is Roboastra europaea. It is somewhat similar in colour but is only known from the east Atlantic. Your animal is possibly an unnamed species.
I am intersted in your comment that Hypselodoris picta lajensis is quite common. If you ever see it feeding on a sponge or laying eggs I would be very intersted in photos as we know little about the biology of many of these animals
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
