Otinodoris sp.

Image courtesy of Jim Black
Bethlehem Dive Site, Anilao, Philippines
Nikon D-300 in Subal Housing with Ikelite strobes.

It was a moonless night in the Puerto Galera area many years ago when Terry Gosliner and I partnered up for a night dive off the then TriStar A. All in all, it was a pretty productive dive but the highlight of course was Terry finding a large specimen of what at the present time is classified as Otinodoris sp. . I couldn't believe it when Terry first put his light on the critter which must have measured some 100mm plus! O. sp. at first seemed a like an offspring only a mother could love. At first glance it didn't have the gaudy colors that endear the Chromodoris group for example to underwater photographers. But the more I looked at the images of O. sp. the more its distinctive beauty could be seen in its interlacing pattern of concavities and small papillae. As the years went by, O. sp. faded in my memory but was quickly revived when my brancher buddy in Japan, Nashina Masayoshi sent me an image taken in the Lembeh Straits region of Indonesia. Back then I was surprised ,but nothing surprises me anymore in what comes out of the Lembeh area, or perhaps starts there in its taxonomic odessy! When Jim Black sent me his great image (above) and a second super lateral shot , this BOW, long in waiting, was immediately put on my list of things to do. The geographical range in Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs and Sea Slugs s is said to be known only from the Philippines but with the inclusion of the Lembeh range extension now includes Indonesia! Hummm, one new side note to a addendum or possibly a second edition if books are still in vogue?

Jim Black on location in Thailand with friend

Jim is retired from US Airways after 27 years as a pilot..., flying Captain on an Airbus 330 Internationally. Diving since 1970...with over 5200 dives logged. Shoots Nikon D-300 in Subal Housing with Ikelite strobes. Macro Mate on 105mm for supermacro . 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. Send Jim email at jim.black14@verizon.net 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!

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