Sea Grass Beds in SoCal?

[scary]

Hello divers,
I'm a grad student and I am currently studying the sea slug Navanax inermis and Navanax polyalphos. I'm looking at pattern distribution throughout California and Mexico (Baja/Gulf) and I need some help locating more specimens. The best place to find N. inermis is in sandy beds near sea grass. I've been to the sea grass beds in Long Beach and I've see a few at Corona Del Mar, but I'm not sure where else to look for them. I'm not sure where the best place to locate N. polyalphos is. Here are links to what the two slugs look like.

The Sea Slug Forum - Navanax inermis
The Sea Slug Forum - Navanax polyalphos
***It's important to note that both slugs come with a wide range of colors and patterns, so if you saw anything that even looked remotely like either of these, I would be happy to know about it. I could also tell you which is which if you happen to have any pictures of them.

If anyone can give me a hand, please let me know if you've seen either slug, when you saw them (time of year) and where you saw them. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Sarah

 

[Spg01]

I think I saw one of the Inermis slugs off of Veterans park in Redondo Beach a week or so ago on a night dive. I think I got some video of it with my Gopro. Which did not really come out all that well because it was only a few inches long.

 

[fnfalman]

Hello divers,
I'm a grad student and I am currently studying the sea slug Navanax inermis and Navanax polyalphos. I'm looking at pattern distribution throughout California and Mexico (Baja/Gulf) and I need some help locating more specimens. The best place to find N. inermis is in sandy beds near sea grass. I've been to the sea grass beds in Long Beach and I've see a few at Corona Del Mar, but I'm not sure where else to look for them. I'm not sure where the best place to locate N. polyalphos is. Here are links to what the two slugs look like.

The Sea Slug Forum - Navanax inermis
The Sea Slug Forum - Navanax polyalphos
***It's important to note that both slugs come with a wide range of colors and patterns, so if you saw anything that even looked remotely like either of these, I would be happy to know about it. I could also tell you which is which if you happen to have any pictures of them.

If anyone can give me a hand, please let me know if you've seen either slug, when you saw them (time of year) and where you saw them. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Sarah

I have yet to see the polyalphos.

The other one I've seen fairly often, but not at seagrass beds though. I've seen them on the reefs at Catalina and Northern Channel Islands. I've seen them crawling on giant kelp leaves too.

BTW, is this Sarah the marine biology grad student working periodically on the Cee Ray?

 

[tc]

There were a lot of them in Big Fisherman's Cove at Catalina this winter and all through the spring.

You'll need to get an LOR from your school to the USC DSO to dive there, let me know if you need his email.

 

[mathauck0814]

No shortage of navanax in southern california. Though, I seem to see them more in the muddy sites like La Jolla shores or the slope abutting Long Reef in Catalina. Also quite a few along the Baja shores of the sea of cortez. We found one actively laying eggs which was pretty neat, but they're pretty ubiquitous there; seen on most dives over the course of a couple of weeks.

 

[ocdiver1]

I'd posted this pic to nudipixel that I'd ided as Navanax Inermis. If correct, I saw it at Anacapa Island Navanax inermis from Anacapa Island, USA » Nudi Pixel

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Juvenile inermis seem to be on every kelp frond in Palos Verdes.

Navanax inermis

Navanax inermis eggs

I've only seen two Navanax polyalphos, one at Catalina and one in Redondo Beach.

 

[keithbt]

We saw these at Two Harbors, Catalina....in the mooring field....mid april 2014

 

[drbill]

I see them over muddy/silty bottoms like in Avalon Bay during the annual harbor clean-up dive as well as at sandy sites like Hen Rock and elsewhere on rocky reefs. There was a pretty good sized one on the wreck of the Suejac in the Casino Point dive park a few weeks ago. I don't see N. polyalphos with any frequency though.

 

[scary]

I have yet to see the polyalphos.

The other one I've seen fairly often, but not at seagrass beds though. I've seen them on the reefs at Catalina and Northern Channel Islands. I've seen them crawling on giant kelp leaves too.

BTW, is this Sarah the marine biology grad student working periodically on the Cee Ray?

This is not that Sarah, but it is nice to know that my name has a healthy representation in marine biology. I did have another grad student in my lab say he finds them around Catalina. We're planning a trip there in September to investigate. Thanks for the extra confirmation!