OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK
Flabellina rubrolineata (O'Donoghue, 1929) 14mm
Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
- Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
- Suborder: Aeolidina
- Family: Flabellinidae
Frequency on Okinawa:
Collection Data:
- Individual Collection No: RFB #3349-D
- Location: Tengan Pier, Okinawa (26o24.0'N, 127o51.1'E)
- Date: 7 January, 1995 [only a single collected indiv.]
- Depth: 40ft (12m) [only a single collected indiv.]
- Water temperature at collection depth: 66.0oF (18.9oC)
- Size: TL 14mm [only a single collected indiv.]
- Specimen deposited: California Academy of Sciences
[brackets indicate range for all Okinawa-collected specimens of the species]
Species Account:
Flabellina rubrolineata is considered to be very rare as this is the only specimen I've seen / collected here on Okinawa. The species was initially reported in Japan by Baba (1955: 26, pl. 13, as Coryphellina rubrolineata). The above featured animal was found crawling on a 2m vertical hydroid-covered spar, located in open sand approximately 30m from the pier itself. The pink body and cerata allowed the animal to stand out, even among the dense stand of hydroids.
Flabellina rubrolineata is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific tropics (Gosliner & Willan. 1991) and it is one of five described Flabellina species known from Okinawan waters. The other four species are
F. bicolor, F. delicata,
F. exoptata, and F. riwo.
In addition, I have several undescribed, or at least unknown, Flabellina species here as well.
Literature Cited:
- Baba, K. 1955. Opisthobranchia of Sagami Bay: Supplement. Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo. 59pp., 20 pls.
- Gosliner, T. M., & R. C. Willan. 1991. Review of the Flabellinidae (Nudibranchia: Aeolidacea) from the tropical Indo-Pacific, with the descriptions of five new species. Veliger 34(2):97-133.
Page Date: 30 Oct '00
Page Modification Date: 14 Oct '02
Digitally manipulated photo
Copyright © 2002 Robert F. Bolland
