Sclerodoris tuberculata
Eliot, 1904
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Dorididae
DISTRIBUTION
Tropical Indo-West Pacific
PHOTO
Anilao, Luzon Island, Philippines, April, 2002. Photo: Jeff Rosenfeld.
First recorded from East Africa (Eliot, 1904), different colour forms have been considered different species. This species has many colour forms from bright red to dull brown. Two consistent characters linking all the colour forms are the pectinate marginal radular teeth, enlarged prostate and an excavation or 'pit' in the dorsal midline, which mimics a sponge oscule.
The red form used to be considered a distinct species, Sclerodoris rubra.
Reference:
Rudman, W.B. (1978) The dorid opisthobranch genera Halgerda and Sclerodoris from the Indo-West Pacific. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 62: 59-88.
Rudman, W.B., 2002 (May 20) Sclerodoris tuberculata Eliot, 1904. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/scletube
Related messages
Sclerodoris tuberculata from India
September 29, 2009
From: Deepak Apte
Concerning message #12508:
Is it Sclerodoris tuberculata?
Locality: Gulf of Kutch, exposed reef, India, Arabean Sea, 14 April 2009, Muddy reef. Length: 30mm. Photographer: Deepak Apte.
Deepak Apte
spiderconch@gmail.com
Dear Deepak,
This could well be the red form of Sclerodoris tuberculata. However it doesn't have white patches scattered over the mantle or white dusting on the upper half of the gills, and the body shape appears more flattened then normal. It is difficult to be 100% sure when identifying some of these rather nondescript looking dorids from photos, but its most likely to be that species.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Dorid from Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
October 9, 2008
From: Heidi Hösel
Dear Prof. Rudman,
My husband and I found this nudibranch that we could not identify, (Sclerodoris, Aldisa?) during our holidy in N-Sulawesi, Lembeh strait,
Dorid A01/02, size ca. 3cm found during a night dive on 25August 2006, dive site: Jahir. characteristic are the brigthly orange rhinophores and the orange gills that are tipped with white. I assume having regard to the black sand on its surface that it is spending at least the day dug in the black sand
Locality: Jahir, Lembeh strait, North sulawesi, about 13 - 15m, Indonesia, Pacific, 25 August 2006, sandy bottom. Length: about 3cm. Photographer: Heidi Hösel.
Thank you in advance
Heidi Hösel
hhoesel@gmx.de
Hösel, H., 2008 (Oct 9) Dorid from Lembeh Strait, Indonesia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/18979Dear Heidi,
My best guess would be a species of Sclerodoris, and I suspect it is Sclerodoris tuberculata. Some of these well-camouflaged dorids, which appear to be mimicking sponges, are difficult to distinguish from one another even when you have them crawling in front of you, so you will realise that identifying from a photo can sometimes be risky.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Sclerodoris tuberculata from Zanzibar
May 10, 2007
From: Bill Rudman
Here are some photos of Sclerodoris tuberculata I collected in Zanzibar and nearby Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in the 1970s (Rudman, 1978). The species shows a considerable range of colour and a bright red form, not illustrated in this message, was given the name Sclerodoris rubra but is just a colour form. They are very good sponge mimics, and the whitish marks on mnay specimens look like patches of sand caught in the mucous sheet often exuded by sponges to clean sediment off. As can be seen the m,iddle photo, dark pits which mimic sponge oscules are often present.
Upper: Mazzizini Bay, Zanzibar, 9 July, 1971 intertidal in sandy mud, 2 specimens 62, 50 mm long alive. Middle: Mazzizini Bay, Zanzibar, 10 August 1971, 2 specimens 37, 26 mm long alive. Lower: North Reef, Ocean Rd, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, intertidal on sponge in pool. 2 specimens 75, 50 mm long alive. 19 July 1974. Photos: Bill Rudman.
- Rudman, W.B. (1978) The dorid opisthobranch genera Halgerda and Sclerodoris from the Indo-West Pacific. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 62: 59-88.
Bill Rudman
Rudman, W.B., 2007 (May 10) Sclerodoris tuberculata from Zanzibar. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19894Sclerodoris tuberculata? from Reunion Island
May 10, 2007
From: Hugues Flodrops
Concerning message #6434:
Dear Bill,
First, congratulations for your spectacular synthesis between Chromodoris cavae and Chromodoris cf geminus [#19876 ]. It's an incredible link!
Then, I spotted a new Aldisa by night, third from Reunion. This specimen appears similar to Aldisa pikokai by Scott Johnson from Oahu, Hawai.
Locality: Etang Salé. Permanent pool, 1 metre, Reunion Island, Indian Ocean, 30 april 2007, Night since one hour. Length: 18 mm. Photographer: Hugues Flodrops.
Thanks for your help.
Regards.
Hugues.
hugues.flodrops@wanadoo.fr
Dear Hugues,
Firstly my views on C. cavae should be treated as 'a work in progress'. I could be wrong, but by assembling all the 'look alikes' together it gives interested locals like you a theory to test. I look forward to further observations.
Concerning your Aldisa. Species of Aldisa do have pits like this in their mantle, which resemble the oscules of sponges, But usually they are not as numerous as this. I have posted some photos of another species with similar mantle pits, Sclerodoris tuberculata [message #19894], which I studied in east Africa. My guess is that your animal could be Sclerodoris, however I think we would need to look at the anatomy to be sure.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Sclerodoris tuberculata from the Red Sea
March 24, 2004
From: Binyamin Koretz
We saw this for the first time last night (March 20, 2004, 8:30 pm) at the 'Caves' site in Eilat (Red Sea) on a coral pinnacle at about 3.5m depth. It was about 2 to 2.5cm long. It looks like a Discodoris but we couldn't identify it.
Thanks for your help!
Binyamin Koretz
Eilat,
Israel
binyamin@koretz.net
Koretz, B., 2004 (Mar 24) Sclerodoris tuberculata from the Red Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12508Dear Binyamin,
This is Sclerodoris tuberculata. It is a very good sponge mimic, and this bright red form used to be considered a distinct species, Sclerodoris rubra.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
Sclerodoris tuberculata from Philippines
May 22, 2002
From: Jeff Rosenfeld
Bill,
Here's another shot taken in Anilao, Luzon Island, Philippines in April, 2002 that Dave Behrens identified for me as a possibly unidentified Sclerodoris. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Jeff
jhrosenfeld@seattleschools.org
Rosenfeld, J., 2002 (May 22) Sclerodoris tuberculata from Philippines. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6967Dear Jeff,
This is Sclerodoris tuberculata, which ranges in colour for this red form which used to be considered a distinct species, Sclerodoris rubra, to dull brown forms.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
