OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK

Ercolania sp. 2 (3.5mm)
Photo by Atsushi Ono

Opisthobranch of the Week Data

Taxonomy:

Order: SACOGLOSSA
Family: Limapontiidae

Frequency on Okinawa:

Very rare

Collection Data:

Individual Collection No: Atsushi Ono #O-661
Location: Zamami Island, Kerama Islands, Okinawa
Date: 20 April, 2002 [only a single collected animal]
Depth: 20ft (6m)
Water temperature at collection depth: ca. 72^oF (ca. 22^oC)
Size: TL 3.5mm [only a single collected animal]
Specimen deposited: Chiba University, Japan

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

Species Account:

I've not personally seen Ercolania sp. 2 here in the waters of Okinawa's main island and Atsushi Ono mentions (pers. comm.) seeing perhaps only the above single individual in the Keramas* and of course considers the species to be very rare there. Atsushi found the animal on a rope in a fish preserve in association with miscellaneous algae.

I've previously featured an additional Ercolania species on these pages, also from Zamami Island in the Keramas, Ercolania sp. 1.

* Keramas = the Kerama Islands Group, located 30 ~ 40 kilometers west of the Okinawa capitol, Naha.

OKINAWANOPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK

OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK