Tambja stegosauriformis
Pola, Cervera & Gosliner, 2005
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Nembrothinae
DISTRIBUTION
Known only from Brazil
PHOTO
Rasas island, Guarapari, Espirito Santo, Brazil. Depth: 14 -15 m. Length: About 20 mm.13 March 2005. Rocky botton near to the edge of island's wall and sand botton. Photographer: Ivan Pierozzi Jr
Tambja stegosauriformis is yellow to orange ground colour and scattered bluish tubercles of varying sizes, some being quite large and raised. There are a series of thubercles forming a distinctive crest down the dorsal midline behind the gills, which give the species its name. The colour of the tubercles can be quite complex range, in some specimens the central region is dark grey-green with an outer light blue ring edged with a thin black line. The gills and rhinophores are also a uniform darl brownish, or greenish grey colour and the gill pocket is edged in blue and black lines. The mantle edge is absent, except at the anterior end where there are two distinctive lobes, flanking the rhinophores. The oral tentacles form distinctive flattened lappets, which are coloured with blue and brown bands. The edge of the foot is also bordered with bands of brown, blue and black. The two largest specimens recorded are 40, 50 mm preserved.
The internal anatomy is typical of the genus Tambja. This species has many similarities in colour and anatomy to Nembrotha gratiosa Bergh which was described from the Gulf of Mexico. See separate discussion [message #14292 ]
Note: This species was formerly known on the Forum as Tambja sp. 7
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Pola, M.., Cervera, J.L. & Gosliner, T.M. (2005) A new species of Tambja (Nudibranchia: Polyceridae: Nembrothinae) from southern Brazil. Journal of the Marine Biological Association, U.K., 85: 979 - 984
Rudman, W.B., 2005 (July 20) Tambja stegosauriformis Pola, Cervera & Gosliner, 2005. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/tambsteg
Related messages
Tambja stegosauriformis from Brazil
July 21, 2005
From: Bill Rudman
I have just posted a Fact Sheet on Tambja stegosauriformis which was formerly on the Forum as Tambja sp. 7.
Bill Rudman
billr@seaslugforum.net
Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Jul 21) Tambja stegosauriformis from Brazil. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14303Re: Polycerid from SE Brazil
April 13, 2005
From: Raymond Simpson
Concerning the message [#13418] about a polycerid from Brazil: On www.medslugs.de I found a picture of what seems to be this species: (Dr. Peter Wirtz) http://www.medslugs.de/photos6/Tambja_sp_F_01.jpg
I also got an email a while back from someone (unfortunately I forgot his name) who was reviewing the polcerids from the Atlantic. He was asking about the Roboastra sp. I posted from Mike Miller's site but since I didn't take the photo I had nothing to add. I did ask him about undescribed species in the West Atlantic however and he said this species is an undescribed Tambja from Brazil... he requests more info on Atlantic polycerids if anyone has pics.
See also:
http://www.medslugs.de/photos6/Tambja_sp_G_01.jpg
and what appears to be T. oliva from Brazil
http://www.medslugs.de/photos7/Tambja_sp_H_01.jpg
Raymond Simpson
P51MustNB@aol.com
Simpson, R., 2005 (Apr 13) Re: Polycerid from SE Brazil. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13510Dear Ray,
Thanks for the reference. Certainly the shelf-like oral lappets on each side of the mouth look Tambja like, but the fore-shortened body, with almost no 'tail' made me wonder id it was something strange. Certainly Peter Wirtz's photo from Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, shows an animal with a much more normal body shape. Perhaps Ivan Pierozzi's animal has been damaged.
I'll put it on the Forum as Tambja sp. 7.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: Polycerid from SE Brazil
April 13, 2005
From: Alma Sanchez
Dear Dr. Rudman,
Concerning the message [#13418] about a polycerid from Brazil: I think this animal is a species of the genus Tambja.
Best wishes
Alma
almasanchez83@hotmail.com
Sanchez, A., 2005 (Apr 13) Re: Polycerid from SE Brazil. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13511Thanks Alma,
After seeing Peter Wirtz's photo [message #13510] it certainly looks like one
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
Re: Polycerid from SE Brazil
April 13, 2005
From: Juan Lucas Cervera
Dear Ivan and Bill,
Concerning the polycerid from Brazil [#13418]. This specimens represents another record of an undescribed species of Tambja. The manuscript of the description of this specimens (by Pola, Cervera and Gosliner) is currently in the reviewing process by the referees in a peer-review journal.
The material used for the description of this species is from Arraial do Cabo (Sthn Brazil).
Regards.
Lucas.
lucas.cervera@uca.es
Cervera, J.L., 2005 (Apr 13) Re: Polycerid from SE Brazil. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13519Thanks Lucas,
Bill Rudman
Polycerid from SE Brazil
April 12, 2005
From: Ivan Pierozzi Jr.
Hi,
I am a graduate in biology from Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo and a PADI Instructor. I'm sending some pictures I took at Rasas island, Guarapari - SE Brazil. I couldn't find this animal in topics related to Brazil or either if it's registered to this region.
I hope that it helped some one.
Locality: Rasas island, Guarapari, Espirito Santo, Brazil. Depth: 14 -15 m. Length: About 20 mm.13 March 2005. Rocky botton near to the edge of island's wall and sand botton. Photographer: Ivan Pierozzi Jr
Best regards,
Ivan Pierozzi Jr.
ijunior2@uol.com.br
Dear Ivan,
This is an interesting find. In colour it looks very similar to Greilada elegans from the northeastern Atlantic, but there are quite significant differences in shape which suggest it is not that spepcies. For one there is no trace of a ridge around the mantle edge, and instead of having multiple small papillae around the anterior mantle edge, there is a wide swelling alongside each rhinophore. If you have other photos which show the head I would be interested in seeing them.
Your animal is a polycerid but without some information on its anatomy, it's a bit hard to say much more. Whatever it is, it is a spectacular colour, and is probably a new species.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
