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Melibe sp.
Photo courtesy of Ali Hermosillo
Batangas, Philippines
Nikon 995 with Inon Strobe
April 2008
Melibe sp. (undescribed)
We have not used up all our stories from last yearīs Indonesia trip and now we have many more from our incredible experience at the Philippines.
Anilao is par non for nudibranch enthusiasts, and we were certainly fortunate enough to live the best of it.
Veteran Videograher Ray Isumi's group that was staying at Club Ocellaris at the same time as we were, but diving out of a different boat, came back from the morning dives with footage of this remarkable critter. This Melibe is figured in Neville Colemanīs new book and it is an undescribed species.
Perry Paleracio (the best nudibranch guide I have known) and I were sent on the mission to try to find and collect this critter. We knew it was found "inside corals" so we looked on the shallows of the reef, on the Porities heads, and way, way down there inside the corals were dozens of Melibe . A supposedly active at night species, the ones we found did not have much activity to offer us. Other members of the genus Melibe feed on small planktonic organisms.
Enjoy also a short video taken by the Webmaster of this mysterious Melibe . You will need a flash file player to see it.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
April, 2008
Oct. 2007
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