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Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
Dendrodoris tuberculosa is considered to be rare on Okinawa as I have collected only two individuals, and photographed three others (without data) while on SCUBA. Members of the species are quite variable. The above featured animal was found crawling in the open at the mouth of a relatively large cave at the base of a vertical rock wall covered with miscellaneous porifera, bryozoa, cnidaria, and others.
The only other similar appearing dorid found here is D. carbunculosa. Rudman (2003) commenting on the Sea Slug Forum mentions the following:
The black or dark brown background colour on the mantle is often found in D. carbunculosa but never in D. tuberculosa. Also in D. carbunculosa the tubercles are much more scattered than in D. tuberculosa, where they are usually crowded together.
To a lesser extent Asteronotus cespitosus superficially resembles D. tuberculosa, but it has smaller tubercles arranged in concentric circles and usually the larger pronounced tubercles of D. tuberculosa readily distinguish the two animals from each other.
Literature Cited:
