OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK
Aeolidiopsis harrietae Rudman, 1982 (13mm)
Photo by Atsushi Ono
Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
- Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
- Suborder: Aeolidina
- Family: Aeolidiidae
Frequency on Okinawa:
Collection Data:
- Individual Collection No: Atsushi Ono #O-397b [O-397c]
- Location: Zamami Island, Kerama Islands, Okinawa
- Date: August, 1999
- Depth: 13ft (4m)
- Water temperature at collection depth: ca. 84oF (ca. 29oC)
- Size: TL 13mm [a second individual was not measured]
- Specimen deposited: Chiba University, Japan
[brackets indicate range for all Okinawa-collected specimens of the species]
Species Account:
I've not personally seen Aeolidiopsis harrietae here in the waters of Okinawa's main island, however Atsushi Ono mentions (pers. comm.) that the above featured animal is only one of two animals seen and collected by him in the Keramas* and Atsushi of course considers the species to be very rare there. Atsushi reports collecting this aeolid from a shallow reef. I've added a second page with
an additional image of A. harrietae, a lateral close-up image of the head, also kindly furnished by Atsushi. The two specimens collected by Atsushi were not noted to be in association with a known prey zoanthid, Palythoa sp.
See the following Sea Slug Forum articles for images and articles of related interest:
- Rudman (2002a) for a description of Aeolidiopsis harrietae.
- Rudman (2002b) for a discussion of the colonial cnidarian, Palythoa.
I've previously featured on these pages an additional member of the genus, Aeolidiopsis ransoni, also from the Keramas.
Literature Cited:
- Rudman, W.B., 2002a (July 18) Aeolidiopsis harrietae Rudman, 1982. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=aeolharr.
- Rudman, W.B., 2002b (July 19) Aeolidiopsis harrietae Rudman, 1982. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=palyfeed.
* 
Keramas = the Kerama Islands Group, located 30 ~ 40 kilometers west of the Okinawa capitol, Naha.
Page Date: 01 Oct '07
Page Modification Date: 01 Oct '07
Digitally manipulated photo
Copyright © 2007 Robert F. Bolland
