OKINAWAN
OPISTHOBRANCH OF THE WEEK
Phyllodesmium kabiranum Baba, 1991 (56mm)
Opisthobranch of the Week Data
Taxonomy:
- Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
- Suborder: Aeolidacea
- Family: Facelinidae
Frequency on Okinawa:
Collection Data:
- Individual Collection No: RFB #3158-B
- Location: Seragaki, Okinawa (26° 30.4'N, 127° 52.6'E) [all 3 specimens from Seragaki]
- Date: 3 April, 1993 [3 Feb '90, 18 Apr '90, 3 Apr '93]
- Depth: 5ft (1.5m) [5ft, 10ft, 25ft]
- Water temperature at collection depth: 70°F (21°C)
- Size: TL 56mm [31mm, 37mm, 56mm]
- Specimen deposited: California Academy of Sciences
[brackets indicate range for all Okinawa-collected specimens of the species]
Species Account:
Phyllodesmium kabiranum is considered to be very rare on Okinawa as I have seen and collected a total of only three individuals over a period of a good many years of diving here. Baba (1991) described the animal from Ishigaki-jima, which is approximately 450km SW of the southern end of Okinawa; his description is based on a single specimen (35mm alive). The name is derived from the name of the city, Kabira, located near the collection site.
As of this date there are eleven described Phyllodesmium species found here in the waters of Okinawa. The eleven species are:
Literature Cited:
- Baba, Kikutaro. 1991. Taxonomical study on some species of the genus Phyllodesmium from Cape Muroto-misaki, Shikoku, and Okinawa Province, Southern Japan (Nudibranchia: Facelinidae). Venus 50(2): 109-124.
Page Date: 31 Aug '98
Page Modification Date: 15 Sep '08
Digitally manipulated photo
Copyright © 2008 Robert F. Bolland
