Author: Undescribed

Order: Nudibranchia  Family: Aeolidiidae

Maximum Size: 3 mm

Sightings: Whitsundays

__________________________________________________________________

Cerberilla sp. 03 Undescribed

The specimen was quite small at 3 mm and buried itself in the substrate allowing only a couple of images to be recorded.

This species appears, in some respects, to be somewhat similar to Cerberilla sp. 9 (PNG) in NSSI, 2018, but  it is not that species.

Cerberilla sp. 03 is translucent white in colour, the face is opaque white without any other colouration. The oral tentacles are long, being translucent white for the basal third, black for the middle third and watery orange for the distal third. The smooth rhinophores are carried erect and are closely sited to each other appearing to arise from a common base. The rhinophores are diffuse-black turning to solid-black with watery orange apices. The diffuse black of the base extends down onto the neck forming a posterior collar that then turns to an orange band each side that do not meet at the midline. At the posterior base of each rhinophore is a distinctive solid-black spot. As with all the Cerberilla, in having a burrowing lifestyle, the cerata are carried close against the body.  The cerata are translucent white and each ceras bears a sub-apical black spot. Some of the cerata have a light peach colour internally. Some of the midline cerata carry a dusting of black flecks. The translucent white foot is broader than the body with the anterior corners enlarged and developed into short propodial tentacles. A white tail, approximately one third of the body length, is of a length not normally observed in Cerberilla and tapers to a fine point.

David A. Mullins – July 2023

References:
– Gosliner, T. M., Valde ́s, A ́. & Behrens, D. W. (2018). Nudibranch & Sea Slug Identification – Indo-Pacific, 2nd Edition. New World Publications, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.