OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK
Micromelo undata (Bruguiere, 1792) 21mm
Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
- Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
- Family: Hydatinidae
Frequency on Okinawa:
Collection Data:
- Individual Collection No: RFB #3154-B
- Location: Seragaki, Okinawa (26o 30.4'N, 127o 52.6'E)
- Date: 15 July 1992 [11 Jun '89, 9 May '90, 16 May '90, 3 Jun '92, 12 Jul '92,
2 Apr '93, 3 Apr '93]
- Depth: 5ft (1.5m) [5ft, 5ft, 5ft, 5ft, 10ft, 10ft, 20ft]
- Water temperature at collection depth: 68.9oF (20.5oC)
- Size: TL 21mm [14mm, 18mm, 21mm, 29mm, 31mm, 34mm]
- Specimen deposited: RFB Personal Research Collection (different individuals
of the species deposited at Cal Acad Sci)
[brackets indicate range for all Okinawa-collected specimens of the species]
Species Account:
Micromelo undata is considered to be rare on Okinawa as I have collected a total of eleven individuals since 1989 (the 29mm specimen was one of five collected on 11 June, 1989, the other four were not measured). The pictured animal was found crawling on the surface of a small patch of sand amid mixed sand and coral rubble.
Copyright © 1999 Robert F. Bolland
Digitally manipulated photo
