Siphopteron sp.

Photo courtesy of Webmaster
Photo taken at Santo, Vanuatu
Animal size est. 5 to 7 mm
Oct. 2006

Siphopteron sp. (undescribed)

At first Mike and I thought this striking animal was an undescribed Sagaminopteron , but fellow Brancher Clay Carlson pointed us in another direction. Clay pointed out to us, that since the body is somewhat free from the tail, and this animal does look like it has a 'siphonal crest' [projection coming out of the head shield], this would suggest Siphopteron. None of us have ever seen the beast nor any other in the family that has such a relatively long appendage on the visceral hump.

The coloration of Mike’s animal here, rivals that of Clay and Patty Jo’s, amazing Sagaminopteron psychedelicum . Both have a series of oval spots on the mantle, each outlined with white and black bands.

This somewhat cryptic species is likely foraging for tiny flatworms in the sediment

WEBMASTER'S NOTES : Photo was taken with a Olympus 770 with a Inon 180-D strobe and diopter. Zoom extended out to 10x to get the picture.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
March 2005

Ali Hermosillo and Dave Behrens Author: Pacific Coast Nudibranchs and Nudibranch Behavior Co-Author Coral Reef Animals of the Indo Pacific Proprietor of Sea Challengers Natural History Books Send Dave mail at dave@seachallengers.com

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