OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK

Discodoris boholensis Bergh, 1877 (28mm)

Opisthobranch of the Week Data

Taxonomy:

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: Doridina
Family: Discodorididae

Frequency on Okinawa:

Very rare

Collection Data:

Individual Collection No: RFB #2206
Location: Seragaki, Okinawa (26^o 30.4'N, 127^o 52.6'E) [both collected individuals from Seragaki]
Date: 30 June, 1989 [30 Jun '89, 4 Dec '92]
Depth: 100ft (30.5m) [100ft, 160ft]
Water temperature at collection depth: 77.2^oF (25.1^oC)
Size: TL 28mm [28mm, 55mm]
Specimen deposited: Photo only, without specimen (different individuals of the species deposited at Cal Acad Sci)

[brackets indicate range for all Okinawa-collected specimens of the species]

Species Account:

Discodoris boholensis is considered to be very rare on Okinawa as I have seen and collected a total of only two individuals over a period of many years of diving Okinawan waters. The literature suggests that this is a relatively shallow water animal, although the only two specimens I've collected from Okinawa were found at 100ft and 160ft. Both individuals were collected during a morning dive; the 28mm individual was found crawling on top of coral rubble, while the 55mm animal was found crawling on the surface of open sand.

OKINAWANOPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK

OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK