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Corambe steinbergae
Image courtesy of Kevin LeePalos Verdes, California
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Corambe steinbergae , (Lance, 1962)
One of the most cryptic of all opisthobranchs is Corambe steinbergae, which we recently found aplenty, diving off Palos Verdes, California, on Saturday, March 7th. The critters are so miniscule and so well camouflaged they defy recognition, though dozens may be staring you in the face. Tell-tale eggs, blanketing kelp fronds, indicated the slug's presence. Still they are difficult to visually discern as their dorsum coloration and pattern perfectly mimic the bryozoa, Membranipora, on which they feed. The search technique I learned from Merry, my fellow nudiphile and uw photographer, is to look for tiny raised "bumps" on the kelp fronds, then zoom in and examine assiduously to find the cryptic critters.
Fullerton, Calif Mar., 2015 Send Kevin email at diverkevin@gmail.com
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Kevin Lee, Dave Behrens, and Christiane Waldrich relaxing after a hard day of slug hunting at Villa Markisa Saraya, Bali,Indonesia! Kevin certainly needs no introduction to the Southern California Dive Community! On a 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. Kevin's images of Corambe steinbergae are the best ever that I have seen of this elusive quarry! Am positive that Jim Lance, if he were alive today would concur in that opinion!
San Diego, Calif Mar., 2015 Send Mike email at mdmiller@cts.com |
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