OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK
Noumea varians (Pease, 1871) 14mm
Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
- Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
- Suborder: Doridina
- Family: Chromodorididae
Frequency on Okinawa:
Collection Data:
- Individual Collection No: RFB #3099-B
- Location: Horseshoe Cliffs (26o30.0'N, 127o50.9'E) [H/S
Cliffs, Seragaki]
- Date: 27 Dec., 1992 [3 Jun '87, 13 May '89, 16 May '90, 26 May '91, 6 May '91,
30 May '91, 13 May '92, 27 Dec '92, 3 Apr '93]
- Depth: 10ft (3.0) [10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 30, 40, 100, 120ft]
- Water temperature at collection depth: 71.6oF (22.0oC)
- Size: TL 15mm [8, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 20mm]
- 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:
Noumea varians is considered to be uncommon on Okinawa. I have collected a total of nine specimens; several additional individuals have been seen, but not collected. This graceful looking small chromodorid is readily discerned from the other nine species of described Noumea here on Okinawa by its rose-violet body, several median opaque white spots and yellow emarginated line.
Page Date: 03 Mar '97
Page Modification Date: 10 Dec '01
Digitally manipulated photo
Copyright © 2001 Robert F. Bolland
