OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK
Chromodoris albopunctata (Garrett, 1879) 22mm
Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
- Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
- Suborder: Doridina
- Family: Chromodorididae
Frequency on Okinawa:
Collection Data:
- Individual Collection No: RFB #2489-G
- Location: Tengan Pier (26o24.0'N, 127o51.1'E) [Horseshoe
Cliffs, Tengan}
- Date: 11 March, 1991 [11 Mar 91, 26 Dec 92, 18 Aug 94]
- Depth: 40ft (12.2m) [40, 165, 205ft]
- Water temperature at collection depth: Not recorded
- Size: TL 22mm [14, 22, 38mm]
- Specimen deposited: California Academy of Sciences
[brackets indicate range for all Okinawa-collected specimens of the species]
Species Account:
Chromodoris albopunctata is considered to be very rare on Okinawa as I have seen and collected a total of only three individuals over a period of a good many years of diving here. The illustrated animal was found crawling amid a mixed silty-sand/oyster shell rubble beneath the pier at Tengan. The other two individuals were collected at Horseshoe Cliffs from mixed sand/coral rubble.
Copyright © 1999 Robert F. Bolland
Digitally manipulated photo
