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Glossodoris aeruginosa
Caves, Sunshine Coast, Noosa,Queensland Australia
Photo courtesy of Gary Cobb
Glossodoris aeruginosa Rudman, 1995
This spectacular photo of the very gorgeous chromodorid nudibranch, Glossodoris aeruginosa, is just one of over 700 knock-out pics contained in the latest Branch book to hit the streets – Undersea Jewels by Gary Cobb and Richard Willan. The color pattern on the dorsum and foot of this species is so intricate and delicate. Notice the dark outline around each white patch and along the gill branches. The background color of the mantle fades from an exquisite turquoise green to warm salmon. The gill is made up of a complicate rosette, dusted with white flecks centrally. Wow.
Cobb and Willan report this as a “new record” for southern Queensland. It is also reported from tropical eastern Australia, the Great Barrier Reef, and New Caledonia. Rudman described it in 1995 (from New Caledonia) and Julie Marshall and Richard Willan recorded it from Australia for the first time in 1999 (from Heron Island).
Farther north a similarily colored glossodorid, Glossodoris tomsnithi is known from the Marshall Isands and Hawaii. Amazing how close they are.
Undersea Jewels feature 3-4 color photos of each of the 277 species, Gary has documented from the Sunshine Coast of Australia, one per page. Close-ups of eggs, gills, rhinopores and underside of mantle, enhance its usefulness.
Enjoy also a short quicktime video that Gary put together on Glossodoris aeruginosa .
Good job guys.
References:
Bertsch, H. & Gosliner, T.M. 1989. Chromodorid nudibranchs from the Hawaiian Islands. The Veliger, 32(3): 247-265.
Cobb. G & Willan, R.C. 2006. Undersea Jewels - A colour guide to Nudibranchs Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra
Marshall, J.G. & Willan, R.C. 1999. {{{Nudibranchs of Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef.}}}
Rudman, W.B. 1995. The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: further species from New Caledonia and the Noumea romeri colour group. Molluscan Research, 16: 1-43. Rudman, 995
Gig Harbor, Washington
Dec. 2006
Undersea Jewels.by Gary Cobb & Richard C. Willan. 2006. 310 pages filled with over 700 photos of 277 species of sea slugs from the Sunshine Coast of Australia (off Brisbane). For many of the species photos in close ups of gill, rhinophores, notual texture, underside of foot and eggs, etc. Several new occurrences to eastern Australia are noted.
In Australia - $60 AUS Contact Dave at dave@seachallengers.com
David Behrens |
Taxonomic information courtesy of:
David W. Behrens
Author:
Pacific Coast Nudibranchs
Send Dave mail at dave@seachallengers.com
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