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Bulbaeolidia sulphurea
Image courtesy of Kevin LeePuerto Vallarta,Mexico
Image courtesy of Kevin Lee
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Bulbaeolidia sulphurea (Caballer & Ortea, 2015) Previously Aeolidiella alba (Courtesy of Bill Rudman's Sea Slug Forum), it has now been determined to be a separate species described by (Caballer & Ortea, 2015), see Carmona et al, 2017. It has a broad body with chalk-white pigments on the notum and head. The translucent rhinophores have two large swellings and a sulfur-yellow pigmentation; there is a conspicuous red band circling the bases. The club-shaped cerata are covered with opaque white or yellowish pigment. We are unaware of any similar species. This critter pretty much stands alone. It is a small species reaching about 12 mm (0.5 in). It ranges from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, south to Panama and the Galapagos Islands, where it is found under rocks in the intertidal, and subtidal to at least 10 m (33 ft). Its egg ribbon seen here is characteristic. It is noteworthy that this species moves using a jumping motion and it feeds on anemones. Thanks Kev, great photo. Wait for it in the upcoming Nudibranchs and Sea Slugs of the Eastern Pacific , later this summer. Great find Kevin.
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Caballer M. & Ortea J. (2015). Finishing to untangling the taxonomic knot: new species of the genus Bulbaeolidia Carmona, Pola, Gosliner & Cervera, 2013 (Mollusca: Aeolidiidae) from the Caribbean and Galapagos. Revista de la Academia Canaria de Ciencias. 27: 113-123.
Leila Carmona, Marta Pola, Terrence M. Gosliner and Juan Lucas Cervera. 2017. Integrative taxonomy and biogeography of the genus Bulbaeolidia (Nudibranchia: Aeolidida). Journal of Molluscan Studies. 1-11. doi:10.1093/mollus/eyx027
Sammamish, WA 98074
May. 2022
Send Dave email at davidwbehrens@gmail.com
Dive Site Isabella,Galapagos Islands
Photo courtesy of Phil Garner
Kevin certainly needs no introduction to the Southern California Dive Community! On an international level you may have encountered Kevin as he certainly gets around on a life time quest to photograph the many treasures of the undersea world. Based in Fullerton, California, Kevin Lee's adventure gene has taken him to over forty countries. After learning to scuba dive, in 2002, he embraced underwater photography as a way of sharing the ocean's wonders with non-divers. Though aesthetics is important in his photography, Kevin also strives to capture unique perspectives that are of interest to marine biologists and other scientists who study ocean creatures and their anatomy/phylogeny. Though Kevin photographs all marine life that fits in his macro lens, opisthobranchs are his favorite subject. He has photographed and collected invertebrate specimens, with proper permitting, all around the world for scientific research. These pursuits have taken him scuba diving in all Seven Continents, including Antarctica where water temperatures were 29F (-2C). Kevin's work can be seen in the Leatherby Libraries, Chapman University, Orange, California, where his opisthobranch images are on permanent display. Other works have been exhibited at the Branford House, University of Connecticut; Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Monterey Bay Aquarium; Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach; City of Los Angeles (ELC); and other venues. And of course, Kevin continues to contribute marine images for numerous magazines, newspapers, academic literature and many dive related publications. To view more of Kevin's photography, visit diverkevin.com
Send Kevin email at diverkevin@gmail.com |
