OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK
Phyllodesmium macphersonae (Burn, 1992) 23mm
Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
- Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
- Suborder: Aeolidacea
- Family: Facelinidae
Frequency on Okinawa:
Collection Data:
- Individual Collection No: RFB #3304
- Location: Tengan Pier, Okinawa (26° 24.0'N, 127° 51.1'E)
- Date: 26 August, 1994 [Only a single specimen collected]
- Depth: 7ft (2m) [Only a single specimen collected]
- Water temperature at collection depth: 83°F (28°C)
- Size: TL 23mm [Only a single specimen collected]
- Specimen deposited: California Academy of Sciences
[brackets indicate range for all Okinawa-collected specimens of the species]
Species Account:
Phyllodesmium macphersonae is considered to be very rare on Okinawa as the featured individual is the only one I've seen here during many years of Okinawa diving. The animal was found at the Tengan Pier dive area, located near a rocky shoreline in seven feet, crawling upon a small slab of rock rubble covered with a Padina sp. brown alga. The general collecting area was one composed primarily of strewn rock, coral rubble, and miscellaneous thallophytes.
Page Date: 10 Nov '97
Page Modification Date: 10 Nov '97
Digitally manipulated photo
Copyright © 2001 Robert F. Bolland
