anudibranchmom's Favorites

Holotype (CASIZ 182590), 33 mm long as shown here, on which Terry Gosliner based his 2010 description of this species (as Flabellina goddardi). I found it on a calm and bright overcast morning crawling in the open in a low intertidal pool at Tar Pits Reef. The 2nd image shows the egg mass, 14 mm in diameter, laid by this individual on 10 May 2008. The uncleaved zygotes averaged 65 microns in diameter, were packed one per capsule, and took 7 days at an average of 16 degrees C to develop into hatching planktotrophic veligers. The 3rd image shows, in right ventro-lateral view, one of the veligers just prior to hatching and with a shell 105 microns long.

Unlike most specimens of this species observed subtidally, individuals found intertidally vary in possession of white lines on the body and cephalic tentacles from completely absent (as in this specimen) to incomplete, to complete. With those white lines, subtidal specimens have occasionally been mistaken for Coryphella trilineata.

Fairly certain of ID but I realize there's precious little information out there on this cryptic aeolid. Help with positive ID would be appreciated. It seems like it might be a little large, given the size suggested by the blade of Zostera, but with so few observations, it's hardly definite. Note that user mbranfireun was my dive buddy and got some better photos of this specimen at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/201611532

Feeding on sediment bottom. 15 ft deep.
Aeolid, 1.5cm long. Pink-peach body. Rhinophores smooth, long and joined at base. Cerata abundant with white tips and dark pink to red digestive glands with uneven, bumpy form.
Same observation as jonathan1232, same location, same date.

Organized by retired State Park biologist Mark Faull, along with current State Park biologists and I found several shells and live snails of this poorly known species in Red Rock Canyon State Park. We hope to shed light on how closely it is related to other Sonorelix in the Mojave Desert. We were very glad to find that it still survives here, despite climate warming and drought.

The specimens were found in a tidepool in the high intertidal zone near 33*31'11''N 117*45'50'' W. The tide pool contained less than a foot of water at the time of observation (3:55PM), which was right before low tide.

Resting in the upper inch of a woodrat nest in a rock crevice. Right across the Mohave River from a population of Victorville Shoulderband (which was unfortunately fenced). The photos show the precipitated cement dust from the nearby cement plant, which doesn't seem to harm the snails.

Coolest find of the day by FAR was this incredible red branched dendronotid, also the largest nudibranch I’ve ever seen period. At least 1 foot long and absolutley breathtaking!! Surprisingly inshore as well! And actively feasting on coraline algae! One of my favorite experiences dock fouling so far!

WOOO! About 4mm, 56ft deep, found by dive buddy Ayla Townsend on a midsize rock with a bunch of hydroids and several Flabellina on the backside of the rock eating other hydroids. Only realized later with the guidebook just how rare these little slugs appear to be.

maybe a stretch of the imagination but:

• no markings extending from the front base of rhinophores to the oral tentacles characteristic of E rustyus? but reminds me of this observation https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/159418472
• forgot that the dorsomedial markings are the major distinction, didn’t get great shots. on the images of the tail you can see the olive marking extending up the dorsum?
• not sure if the cerata are irregularly nodular.