Tenellia sp.

Image courtesy of Jim Black
Lembeh, Indonesia

Tenellia sp.

Presently the Family Fionidae includes Eubranchus, Abronica, Tergipossa, Fiona and Tenellia. Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification presents 83 undescribed species of Tenellia. Jim's critter here makes 84. While is has similar coloration to several Tenellia and Abronica species, it seems distinct. The smooth rhinophores and head tentacles are opaque white. The body is covered with large white spots. The cerata have a purplish tip (cnidosac) followed by a dark red band, followed by a wide orange band, and a wide white band midway down. The base of the cerata is light orange. While wild ceratal bands like these are not uncommon in this family, but none that I am aware of match this arrangement.

Those of you diving the Lembeh region, let's keep our eyes open for this beauty, so we can learn more about it!


Dave Behrens
Sammamish, WA 98074
July, 2019
Send Dave email at davidwbehrens@gmail.com


Jim on location at Raja Ampat, 2017

Jim Black Retired from US Airways, and now after a merger, American Airlines with 37 years service as a pilot. Jim retired as Captain flying an A330 Airbus Internationally. Diving since 1970, with close to 8000 dives now. Currently shooting a NIkon D800E in a Subal Housing with Ikelite strobes.. Jim uses a Macro Mate, and a Nauticam SMC and its Multiplier for super macro work.

Jim's photography has been featured in a number of books and publications including Helmut Debelius' Nudibranchs and Sea Snails of Gosliner, Behrens and Williams Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific. A photo of Jim petting a shark in "Sleeping Shark Caves" off Isla Mujeres Island, Mexico, taken by Amy Foster his significant other, recently appeared in Dave Behrens' Diving Guide to Cozumel, Cancun & The Riviera Maja.

Jim has also been a major contributor to (1) the New Indo-Pacific Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification book by Gosliner, Valdez, Behrens (NSSI),(2) Tropical Pacific Reef Creature Identification by Humann & DeLoach,(3) Nudibranchs Encyclopedia by Neville Coleman,(4) Reef Fishes of the East Indies by Gerald Allen and Mark Erdmann, And many other publications.

Jim has been a solid supporter of the Slug Site since day one. His countless contributions put him near the top of the list of photographers who have greatly expanded our knowledge of sea slugs. There are a lot of kids in the formative stage of their education who are getting their first introduction to our sea slug friends via the great photographs Jim and other contributors have made to the site. My hat is off to Jim for making this presentation possible!

Send Jim email at jim.black14@verizon.net



From left to right, Terry Gosliner, Angel Valdes, Dave Behrens La Jolla, Calif.

Send Dave email at davidwbehrens@gmail.com

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