OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK
Reticulidia fungia Brunckhorst & Gosliner, 1993 (28mm)
Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
- Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
- Suborder: Doridina
- Family: Phyllidiidae
Frequency on Okinawa:
Collection Data:
- Individual Collection No: RFB #2464-B
- Location: Horseshoe Cliffs (26o30.0'N, 127o50.9'E)
[Channel Crevices, Horseshoe Cliffs, Seragaki]
- Date: 25 November 1990 [1987: Mar, May; 1989: Apr, May, Jun; 1990: Jun, Jun, Nov; 1991: Apr, Aug, Aug; 1992: Mar, May, Sep, Dec; 1993: May]
- Depth: 210ft (64.0m) 40ft, 60ft, 80ft, 80ft, 80ft, 100ft, 120ft, 125ft, 135ft, 140ft, 150ft, 165ft, 170ft, 180ft, 180ft, 210ft]
- Water temperature at collection depth: Not recorded
- Size: TL 28mm [22mm, 22mm, 23mm, 26mm, 26mm, 27mm, 28mm, 29mm, 29mm, 34mm, 36mm, 47mm, 56mm, 69mm, 92mm, + 1 not measured]
- 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:
Reticulidia fungia is considered to be uncommon on Okinawa. I have collected 16 individuals between 1987 & 1993. In addition, I've photographed perhaps another dozen or so animals. The 15 collected individuals that were measured ranged from 22-92mm, having a mean size of 38mm. The smooth network of few, broad nodal ridges readily
separate this species from others within the family. The only other species within the Genus Reticulidia is R. halgerda, which has numerous, narrow nodal ridges.
I usually find these attractive dorids on vertical walls densely covered with demosponges and miscellaneous cnidaria at the reef edge.
Copyright © 1999 Robert F. Bolland
Digitally manipulated photo
