Verconia varians

Image courtesy of Jim Black
Maumere Harbor, Flores, Indonesia

Verconia varians (Pease, 1871)

Can't believe we have over looked running this beautiful species as a BOW when so many of us have great photos of it.

Previously assigned to the genus Noumea, it is one of many species to get swept in the taxonomic flood to Verconia. The genus is differentiated by having a distinctive radula with an inner lateral tooth that is much wider than the other teeth.

Verconia varians is translucent with the internal viscera giving it a pink to orange appearance. It has a wide white marginal band with a thin red line along its inner edge. Two or three large white oval-shaped lines are found down the center of the dorsum. The outer edge of the gill branches and the rhinophores are red-orange.

Reaching a length of up to 15 mm, this species occurs widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific.


Dave Behrens
Sammamish, WA 98074
Aug. 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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