Black Nudibranh???

[Chad_Ordelheide]

Well, I just had my 11th straight dive with a new nudibranch!! Fine, some don't care but thats ok. Anyway, what I found was a pure black nudibranch! The only hint of another color was the white tips on it Rhinopores. Any guesses??

 

[Trinigordo]

Yeah I saw a few of the same one. But I could do one better for you. I got shots of one free swimming on the surface. The pic sucks but how often do you get to see that?

Got one hiding out under a bridge too.

 

[LeslieH]

Chad, I'm having problems with yours. My first guess is some sort of arminid out cruising for a tasty sea pen but I'm not sure. Did you see any sign of gills? Are they retracted?

Trinigordo, you've got two different animals. I don't know the first one - not enough detail but the second is a sea hare most likely in the genus Aplysia. Where was it taken?

 

[Trinigordo]

Both shots were taken in Palm Beach Florida

 

[LeslieH]

Florida, huh? The two big swimming Aplysia species from that area are A. morio and A. brasiliana. In a coincidence someone else asked about them just a couple of days ago. More info & links here:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=139824

 

[Chad_Ordelheide]

LeslieH,

I did get a shot where it appeared the dorsal, posterior gills where sucked in. Since it was pure black it was a little difficult to take a picture of!!! Anyway, from what I saw it was a nudibranch with gills, but the color of the gills is still in question. From what I could see they were black too!

 

[Vie]

Anyway, what I found was a pure black nudibranch! The only hint of another color was the white tips on it Rhinopores. Any guesses??

Anyway, from what I saw it was a nudibranch with gills, but the color of the gills is still in question. From what I could see they were black too!

Totally guessing here... Dendrodoris nigra or Dendrodoris fumata.

Both of the above species have colour forms which are often completely black except for the white tips of their rhinophores.

 

[LeslieH]

Sounds like a good fit!

 

[Chad_Ordelheide]

Dendrodoris nigra seems to be the closest match. As always, thanks a million!!

 

[jaybombs25]

Sorry for dredging up this thread but any possibilities it could be a dendrodoris krebsii??