Tambja abdere
Farmer 1978

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

DISTRIBUTION

Pacific coast of central America

PHOTO

Costa Rica. Photo: Peter Ajtai

Tambja abdere and Tambja fusca were described in the same paper (Farmer, 1978) but are now considered to be colour variants of a single species. The basic body coloration consists of turquoise blue-green and yellow-ochre regions, separated by black lines. In some specimens, such as in the accompanying photo, colour pattern is quite orderly with a turquoise background and longitudinal bands of yellow ochre, separated by thin black lines. In the T. fusca form the yellow ochre predominates and the turquoise consists of a series of irregular spots and patches. The gills and rhinophore clubs are a dark brownish black, and the outer edge of the gill rachis is yellow. There is a very distinctive translucent dark patch behind each rhinophore above where the eye is situated on the nerve ring. Animals grow to 80 mm in length, and are often found on their food - arborescent bryozoans. They are often eaten by Roboastra tigris.

• Farmer, W.M. (1978) Tambja and Roboastra (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia) from the Gulf of California and the Galapagos Islands. The Veliger, 20(4): 375-385.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2002 (May 22) Tambja abdere Farmer 1978. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/tambabde

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