Hopkinsia nakamotoensis
Photo Courtesy of Webmaster
Bohol, Philippines April 1994

Hopkinsia nakamotoensis Hamatani, 2001

Another new species we found years ago in Bohol, Philippines see Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific, species # 604, as Okenia sp. 1 has been recently described by a Japanese colleague as Hopkinsia nakamotoensis. Found on the arborescent bryozoan, Tropidozoum cellariiforme, this species is characterized by a red body with long aeolid, cerata-like dorsal appendages. A circle of gills clearly indicates that this species is a dorid. The rhinophores and gills are red in color, as are the tips of the long dorsal appendages.

Recent taxonomic reorganization of species assigned to the genera Okenia and Hopkinsia have clarified the differences between the two genera and moved some names, including the north Pacific Okenia plana ,see Pacific Coast Nudibranchs, species #51, which is now Hopkinsia plana. While describing Hopkinsia nakamotoensis Hamatani has nominated a new genus for another very similarly colored species, Sakishimata kondoi . S. kondoi differs externally from Hopkinsia nakamotoensis in having 4 pairs of dorso-lateral processes versus 5, in the latter. Other red species closely resembling these two new species are Hopkinsia rosacea MacFarland, 1905 and H. hiroi Baba, 1938.

The distribution of Hopkinsia nakamotoensis is only recently becoming clear as Branchers around the world report their findings. Currently it is reported from Indonesia, Philippines, Marshall Islands and Okinawa.

Reference:

Hamatami, I. (2001) Two new species of Goniodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Nudibranchia) with a new genus from Kuroshima Island, Okinawa, Japan. Venus 60(3): 151-156.

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

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