Noumea angustolutea
Photo Curtesy of Webmaster
Batangas, Philippines

This pretty little thing is one of about 20 different species, falling into the family Chromodorididae , that have a white body and some form of yellow or orange border. Bill Rudman, this species author, and webmaster of the Australian Museum's, Sea Slug Forum discusses this similarly colored group under the category "Chromodoris aureomarginata colour-group."

Because of its small size and confusion with the other similarly colored species, it geographic distribution is poorly known. Verifiable specimens have been reported from northern Australia, the Philippines, Thailand and the Marshall Islands.

Reaching only about 25mm in length, the mantle is translucent with a opaque white medial region. Along the border of the mantle there is a creamy yellow submarginal band. A thin yellow line can be found along the extreme outer edge of the mantle. The rhinophores and gills are edged with reddish brown.

This is one of the chromodorid species that jerks or vibrates its gills when crawling.

Rudman, W.B. (1990b) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: further species of Glossodoris, Thorunna and the Chromodoris aureomarginata colour group. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 100(3): 263-326.

Webmaster's Notes: My identification on this animal was initially Glossodoris electra which if correct would have represented an extentsive range revision. Dave had certain misgivings about my ID(fortunately), so we both deferred to a higher authority who came up with a much closer fit. As a further example of branchs with the yellow mantle fringe, consider the pics of Ardeadoris egretta to the left and Glossodoris pallida to the right!

By a quirk of fate, Noumea angustolutea is also being featured on Bob Bolland's Okinawa Slug Site this week. Absolutely amazing, think Bob and I should get together and play the California Lotto!

David W. Behrens Author: Pacific Coast Nudibranchs Co-Author Coral Reef Animals of the Indo Pacific Propriator of Sea Challengers Natural History Books ! Send Dave mail at seachalleng@earthlink.net

---