OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK
Pleurobranchus forskali Ruppell & Leuckart, 1828 (165mm)
Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
- Order: NOTASPIDA
- Family: Pleurobranchidae
Frequency on Okinawa:
Collection Data:
- Individual Collection No: RFB #2909-A
- Location: Onna Flats, Okinawa (26° 30.0'N, 127° 50.9'E)
[H/S Cliffs, Onna Flats, Seragaki]
- Date: 20 January, 1992 [Apr '87(2), Mar '89, Apr '89, Nov '91(2), Jan '92(2),
Mar '92, Apr '93, Mar '94, Feb '95]
- Depth: Intertidal [Intertidal(6), 5ft, 5ft, 10ft, 10ft, 30ft, 135ft]
- Water temperature at collection depth: Not recorded
- Size: TL 165mm [7mm, 21mm, 48mm, 50mm, 58mm, 68mm, 84mm, 85mm, 87mm, 145mm,
155mm, 165mm]
- Specimen deposited: Cal Acad Sci)
[brackets indicate range for all Okinawa-collected specimens of the species]
Species Account:
Pleurobranchus forskali is considered to be common on Okinawa. Although a total of twelve individuals have been collected since April of 1987, many more have been seen/photographed but not collected. My experience with this beautiful notaspid is to find it primarily during night time dives or minus tide reef walks conducted at night.
The following three Pleurobranchus species are currently known from the waters of Okinawa's main island:
Page Date: 12 Jan '98
Page Modification Date: 15 Jul '02
Digitally manipulated photo
Copyright © 2002 Robert F. Bolland
