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Madrella sp.
Image courtesy of Jayne BrunerPhoto taken at Cobb's Cliff dive site in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea.
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Madrella sp. undescribed
Our first guess Id'ed this species as a Galeojanolus. See Ali's BOW on the same critter, just a different color, awhile back, and page 320 of Indo-Pacific Nudibranchs. This interesting small beast belongs to a small family, the Madrellidae which is closely related to the Proctonotidae (classical Janolids) but its members have an oral veil. Senior author of the NEW - Nudibranchs and Sea Slugs - Indo-Pacific Terry Gosliner has determined that the species actually belongs to the genus Madrella, and will be listed as Madrella sp. 1 in this revised field guide, coming out this fall. This undescribed species has a transparent brownish body, that is either clear like Jayne's specimen here, or with a network of opaque white on the cerata, which are shaped like bottles or bowling pins. It apparently lacks a carnacle between the rhinophores, found on members of its sister genus, Janolus. Some members of this genus have chemical glands at the base of their cerata that release a noxious substance when disturbed. |
This species is known only from Papua New Guinea and may reach 25mm in length. It is found under coral rubble in 7 m, on barrier reefs, where it feed on bryozoans.
Sammamish, WA 98074
Feb., 2015
Send Dave email at davidwbehrens@gmail.com
Bob pursued film stills until 1999 and then switched to video. He "retired" in 2009 to "see more on the reef". Jayne was a non-photographer (land or sea) until 2008 when a fellow diver gave her a point & shoot to try. That launched a passion to capture the world of nudis that has yet to be satisfied. She currently is shooting with an Olympus OM-D E-M1 in a Nauticam housing with an Ikelite 161 strobe.
Send Jayne email at brunercj@gmail.com
Send Jayne email at brunercj@gmail.com
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