Nudibranch ID

[jakubson]

I finally got my secondhand copy of behrens, and i tried to ID my nudibranch photos. I put my tentative ID in the photo title. Can anyone give it a look and help me out?

Thanks.

 

[mweitz]

Second one is a clown (Tropha catalinae)and the last one is a Rainbow (Dendronotis iris). I've seen the first one a few times recently, but don't remember the ID on it.

All the yellow ones always confused me.

Mark

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

"Neat Aeolid" looks like Flabellina Salmonaca. Adm. Linda and I saw what was probably
one of these at Pt. Lobos in the sand outside the cove a few weeks ago. I haven't had
a chance to get her pictures and my copy Behrens in the same place to verify.

Your "Clown" is indeed Triopha Catalinae, the clown nud.

"Sea Lemon" is used for any number of yellow nods. Yours was Anisodoris Nobilis.
They changed the Anisodoris part of the name to something else but I can remember it. It's the only local yellow nud with brown spots.

Your "Golden Dorid" is one of several that can't be differentiated without a scalpel.
I just call them all "Lemon Nudibranchs" and don't worry about it. I don't use "Lemon"
for A. Nobilis.

Your "Rainbow Dendronotid" is indeed Dendronotis Iris, the Rainbow Nudibranch.

Stick with the scientific names where possible. They are unambiguous. If the kids
can ID Tyranasaurus Rex, you can ID nuds.

Behrens is due out with a new edition, I think this month or next.

Suggestion on the photography: Get low, get close, shoot up.

 

[jakubson]

"Neat Aeolid" looks like Flabellina Salmonaca. Adm. Linda and I saw what was probably
one of these at Pt. Lobos in the sand outside the cove a few weeks ago. I haven't had
a chance to get her pictures and my copy Behrens in the same place to verify.

Your "Clown" is indeed Triopha Catalinae, the clown nud.

"Sea Lemon" is used for any number of yellow nods. Yours was Anisodoris Nobilis.
They changed the Anisodoris part of the name to something else but I can remember it. It's the only local yellow nud with brown spots.

Your "Golden Dorid" is one of several that can't be differentiated without a scalpel.
I just call them all "Lemon Nudibranchs" and don't worry about it. I don't use "Lemon"
for A. Nobilis.

Your "Rainbow Dendronotid" is indeed Dendronotis Iris, the Rainbow Nudibranch.

Stick with the scientific names where possible. They are unambiguous. If the kids
can ID Tyranasaurus Rex, you can ID nuds.

Behrens is due out with a new edition, I think this month or next.

Thanks for the help.

Suggestion on the photography: Get low, get close, shoot up.

Yeah, I know. I am so sensitive about not stirring up the bottom and reducing viz that I have a hard time forcing myself low. Gotta work on that. That's why I love tropical wall diving - easy to shoot up!

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Take a lesson from the cave and wreck crowd, where stirring up the bottom might be
fatal: Trim yourself so you float horizontally, or even a touch head down, and do little
modified frog kicks with your ankles. This will really help eliminate the self-induced
backscatter.