amphiprion polymnus , also known as the saddleback clownfish or yellowfin anemonefish , is a black and white species of anemonefish with a distinctive saddle .

like all anemonefishes it forms a symbiotic mutualism with sea anemones and is unaffected by the stinging tentacles of the host anemone .

it is a sequential hermaphrodite with a strict sized based dominance hierarchy : the female is largest , the breeding male is second largest , and the male non-breeders get progressively smaller as the hierarchy descends .

they exhibit protandry , meaning the breeding male will change to female if the sole breeding female dies , with the largest non-breeder becomes the breeding male .

saddleback clownfish

a saddleback anemone is a type of carpet anemone . more specifically , a saddleback anemone is a
common name : saddleback clownfish , saddleback anemonefish scientific name : amphiprion polymnus max size : 5 in / 12 . 5 cm
fire or red saddleback clownfish ( amphiprion ephippium ) . photo © debbie and stan hauter
black clownfish - information about black clown fish breeding clownfish - a very brief describtion on how to breed clownfish cinnamon clownfish - information about cinnamon clownfish clarkii clownfish - information about clarkii clownfish maroon clownfish - information about maroon clownfish ocellaris clownfish - information about ocellaris clownfish percula clownfish - an article about how to keep and breed percula breeding . pink skunk clownfish - information about pink skunk clownfish tomato clownfish - an in deepth article about tomato clownfish .
the saddleback clownfish diet consists of meaty food items , chopped table shrimp , and herbivore preparations .
this is one of the best known clownfish , and a very popular member of the saddleback complex .
properly cared for , the wide - band clownfish , the saddleback clownfish , and the sebae clownfish alike will undoubtedly enhance the beauty and distinctiveness of any marine aquarium display .
it has been known to hybridize in captivity with the red saddleback clownfish ( a . ephippium ) and tomato clownfish ( a . frenatus ) .
id never heard a saddleback called that but i will try to add saddleback and sebea soon for more clarifcation and info . when i add anemone info .
group : damselfish ( damsels / clownfish ) family : pomacentridae distribution : pacific western ; western pacific ; ryukyu islands to the gulf of thailand , indonesia . northern australia and solomon islands . saddleback clownfish adult size : 5 inches ( cm ) saddleback clownfish minimum tank size : 29 gallons
typical brown saddleback clownfish , photographed in cebu , philippines , by flickr user shinji | cc - by - 2 . 0
a healthy , vibrant saddleback clownfish , produced by the students at stratton elementary , and ready for sale at quality marine .
the saddleback clownfish is native to the eastern indian and western pacific ocean where they are found living on reefs close to host anemones .
the saddleback clownfish is a popular fish species with beginners through reef aquarists alike due to their interesting appearance and relatively hardy disposition . saddleback clownfish can be found from the western pacific , china , vietnam , taiwan , south to indonesia , philippines , australia , west to new guinea and the soloman islands .
the saddleback clownfish ( amphiprion polymnus ) is named for the saddle - shaped white marking that extends from the rear dorsal downward . they often exh . . .
also known as anemonefish , black saddleback anemonefish , black saddleback clownfish , brownsaddle clownfish , brown saddleback anemonefish , clownfish , clown anemonefish , panda clownfish , saddleback clown , saddleback clownfish , white - tipped anemonefish , yellowfin anemonefish , yellow - finned anemonefish . found in pairs and family groups with their host anemone in silty , sandy bottoms of harbours and lagoons . variation in colour . they feed on algae and zooplankton . length - 12cm depth - 2 - 35cm widespread western pacific this anemonefish is known to live with the host anemones : - leathery sea anemone - heteractis crispa urltoken haddon ' s anemone - stichodactyla haddoni urltoken anemonefish are specialised damselfish and live a symbiotic relationship with various anemones . some anemonefish will only be found with one type of anemone , but others can live with many types . they are rarely found very far away from an anemone .
the saddleback clownfish is usually friendly to other fish including other clownfish and are best kept in a small group . if you want to breed them it is best to buy a group of juveniles or an already established pair .
misbar $ 25 misbarred clownfish are believed to be the product of clownfish fry in less than preferable conditions .
is not even a member of the clarkii complex—it belongs to the saddleback complex , discussed below . ) in fact , any yellow - and - white - striped clownfish might be sold as a “sebae” clown . true sebae clownfish ,
the saddleback complex fishes also suffer from collection and transportation stress and often arrive at retailers’ shops in poor condition . the highest clownfish respiration i’ve ever encountered—116 “breaths” per minute—was in an
the saddleback clownfish , sometimes referred to as the saddle brown clownfish , is orange - brown with a large white stripe from the forehead to the chest , and white patches on the back , saddle , and tip of the tail .
amphiprion polymnus – there are at least three distinct forms of saddleback clownfish in the trade , and it should be noted that host - induced melanism is well documented in this species .
black saddleback a . polymnus , shown here in east timor . note the complete mid - stripe and the presence of a caudal stripe , absent in all other saddleback variants . image by nick hobgood | wikimedia | cc by - sa 3 . 0
not all the 29 species of clownfish will go in all 10 species of host anemones . in fact , only one species of clownfish , the clark ' s clownfish (
) with any other clownfish in the aquarium , as the results are usually not very good for the other clownfish . in the sea , on a rare occasion i have seen clark ' s clownfish sharing an anemone with other clownfish species (
more fish ready for the next clownfish ? check out the sebae clownfish . , back to clownfish — overview . , open the [ b ] main menu [ / b ] .
the 28 clownfish species fall into six broad groups , called complexes : the percula complex , the tomato complex , the skunk complex , the clarkii complex , the saddleback complex , and the maroons .
, the saddleback clownfish , originally identified by the swedish naturalist carolus linnaeus in 1758 . those were the days before scuba divers , of course , hence specimens for identification were dredged from the ocean and the relationship between the clownfishes and their host anemones would wait more than a century to be observed . until then , the saddleback clownfish was just considered another small , colorful member of the damselfish family .
another look at the typical brown saddleback clownfish , photographed here in puerto galera , mimaropa , philippines , by andrew smith ( image has been cropped ) | flickr | cc by - sa 2 . 0
the saddleback complex has only three member species , namely the wide - band clownfish , the saddleback clownfish , and the sebae clownfish . each of these bears white bars or stripes ; these markings often appear as saddles across their backs . clownfish of this complex are typically very dark in color , having predominantly brown or black base coloration , perhaps with highlights of yellow and orange . they are somewhat larger and more slender in shape than most other clownfish . many aquarists seem to agree that there is something about the overall appearance and behavior of these fishes that soundly conveys their delicate nature and exotic provenance .
shape . the saddleback clownfish has an orange - brown body with a vertical white band behind its head , and a large white patch on its dorsal area which resembles a
saddle
. the colouration can vary from orange to black . the pattern of white bars can also vary . a captive - bred variant was developed that lacked the distinctive
saddle
patch is called the
black saddleback clownfish
.
saddleback anemonefish ( amphiprion polymnus ) in anemone home , anilao , batangas , luzon , philippines . verde island passages , tropical west pacific ocean .
members of the saddleback complex are among the most challenging species of clownfish to maintain in captivity . a rather high level of care must be reached to ensure ( if it can be ensured ) the health and wellbeing of these sensitive animals . generally , attempts to keep these fishes should be undertaken by advanced aquarists ( especially so if host anemones are to be kept as well ) . properly cared for , the wide - band clownfish , the saddleback clownfish , and the sebae clownfish alike will undoubtedly enhance the beauty and distinctiveness of any marine aquarium display .
in aquarium the bubble tip anemones are the natural host for many popular clownfish species including clarki , tomato , saddleback , skunk , melanopus , bicinctus , ephippium , rubrocinctus , and maroon clowns ocassionally ocellaris ( false perula ) , tue percula , and other clownfish in captivity .
as it is with other members of the subfamily , saddleback complex clownfish do not form obligate associations with their sea anemone hosts ; they do , however , require plenty of hiding places . photo by kenneth wingerter .
red saddleback clownfish are extremely intolerant of copper treatment . unlike most clownfish copper treatment can be lethal to them . they are the only clownfish that doesn ' t have a white stripe on their bodies ad adults , however juveniles generally have one near it ' s head that disappears as they mature . in the wild they host in entacmaea quadicolor and heteractis crispa
are big , bold , striking fish , and they are hardy , even by clownfish standards . whoever started the rumor that male clownfish are
nemo may be the most popular clownfish , but there a large variety of clownfish species available . in this tfh - exclusive book excerpt , an accomplished clownfish breeder profiles the natural history and care of various species .
nature picture library - saddleback anemonefish ( amphiprion polymnus ) in anemone home , anilao , batangas , luzon , philippines . verde island passages , tr . . .
like all clownfish , the fire clownfish lives in and among sea anemones , where it feeds on planktonic crustaceans such as copepods and shrimp larvae .
( red saddleback ) come into the hobby mostly from indonesia and western thailand . this clownfish looks very similar to the tomato and cinnamon clownfish in body shape , but it lacks the single white stripe behind the eye in the adults . a white stripe may appear in juveniles and a very small white stripe in sub - adults . this clownfish is normally associated with the bubble (
the black saddleback clownfish , shown here in bali , indonesia , has a full mid stripe and a tail stripe ( absent in the brown form ) . image [ croppped ] by flickr user jeff ~ | cc by 2 . 0
fire clownfish grow to a large size and often become a dominant species in aquariums . though they will defend their territory with vigor they will peacefully coexist with most species of fish not belonging to the clownfish family . fire clownfish are hardy and bold and are a good clownfish for beginner aquarists .
the black saddleback anemonefish , shown here at tasik ria house reef , north sulawesi , indonesia . image by jens petersen | wikimedia | cc by - sa 3 . 0
, the true sebae clown , is distributed from the arabian peninsula to java but is collected only infrequently . common names can cause confusion , as the red saddleback clown (
found in silty areas , the saddleback clownfish has two colour morphs : the most common is usually rusty orange with a broad white band on the head , a broad saddle - like marking or band on the back and soft dorsal fin , and a broad white margin on the caudal fin . the other morph is dark - bodied with white banding , often with yellow to orange on the snout , pectoral fins and sometimes on the caudal fin . video of saddleback anemonefish in truk lagoon . video of a pair of saddleback anemonefish with their eggs at basilan in the sulu archipelago , philippines .
) are the common clownfish species known to occupy this anemone in the sea . i have seen this anemone accepted as a host by many other clownfish (
are easy to distinguish from clark’s clownfish : the upper portion of a sebae clownfish’s midbody band tilts diagonally back , while a clark’s midbody band is more vertical . in addition , sebae clownfish have only a head and a midbody band .
) are the common clownfish species known to occupy this anemone in the sea .
boxing up the clownfish , including heat packs to maintain warm temperatures during shipment .
traditionally the fish amphiprion polymnus ( saddleback clownfish or yellowfinned anemonefish ) has been called the
black percula
because of its morphological similarity to the amphiprion percula ( true clown fish or orange anemonefish ) . this fish was first described in the late 18th century .
- short and sticky tentacles . base may be green , brown , blue , or purple in color . hosts clark ' s , ocellaris , saddleback , and true percula clowns .
species that are not ideal for beginners include the percula clownfish . although these are the smallest species of clownfish they are a bit more costly and require more attention to water quality than the hardier varieties . there are a few other varieties that stress easily and acclimate slowly to the aquarium , so are not suggested for a new aquarist . these include the sebae clownfish , the saddleback anemonefish , and the wide - band anemonefish .
in their natural habitats , clownfish and anemones have a symbiotic relationship ; both need the other to survive . clownfish rely on anemones for protection from predators , while anemones rely on clownfish for food . different types of clownfish tend to prefer living with , or hosting , different types of anemones . if you ' re setting up an aquarium and would like to keep clownfish and anemones , it makes sense to try one these natural pairings , but don ' t be surprised if your clownfish have
saddleback clownfish make excellent additions to both peaceful community aquariums and reef aquariums . while the minimum requirement for this species is a 30 gallon aquarium , they do best in 30 gallon or larger aquariums with live sand and plenty of live rock . in the wild this species generally lives in shallow sandy lagoons with scattered rocks along a sandy bottom or in lower regions of shallow reefs . providing plenty of live rock in the aquarium envrionment will help create territory for the saddleback clownfish and reduce its aggression towards similarly sized fish in the aquarium .
saddleback anemonefish are protandrous hermaphrodites , changing sex from male to female during their life cycle . they form monogamous pairs , and after spawning , the males guard and aerate the developing eggs .
thanks . but
i think i need a bigger boat
. the saddleback clown is beating the heck out of the poor carpet . may a second one would split the thrashings ?
at present , these species are very much underrepresented in the ornamental fish trade . this is due mainly to the locales from which they are collected . in the case of the wide - band clownfish , collectors do not frequent its extreme southerly range ( some of which is protected ) ; in the case of the saddleback clownfish and sebae clownfish , collectors tend to pass over the relatively unproductive sandy / silty flats where they mainly occur .
clownfish were made famous by the movies finding nemo and finding dory ; movie viewers learned that all clownfish make their homes inside sea anemones , safe from intruders . they also learned that clownfish are attractive , relatively small saltwater fish that are sometimes kept in aquariums . most clownfish , like nemo and his father , marlin , have bright stripes ; the fire clownfish , however , loses its stripes as it grows into adulthood .
this species is one of the most gorgeous clownfish , though it is quite territorial .
species . at this writing , many of these are still being incorrectly labeled “sebae” clownfish by distributors and retailers . ( the true sebae clownfish is exceedingly hard to obtain .
if you have a clownfish species that is not listed in the clownfish anemone compatibility chart below and it is hosting with one of these anemones , please let us know .
a male saddleback anemonefish , amphiprion polymnus , tending eggs at onna - son , okinawa prefecture , japan . source : klaus stiefel / flickr . license : cc by attribution - noncommercial - sharealike
the saddleback clownfish is an interesting experience due to its beautiful pattern and unusual swimming pattern . it moves up and down in an almost erratic looking motion when they swim . this species of clownfish has gotten its name from the saddle shaped white field that it has on the back half of its body . the “saddle” stretches from the dorsal fin down over the body .
all clownfish start out as males , and in the absent of a female the dominant male will in time change to a female . the female is normally the larger fish of a mated pair . in some species of clownfish the female is also darker in color . if you try to pair clownfish i recommend that you buy one larger and one smaller clownfish . the smaller clownfish ( normally the male ) will shake whenever the larger clownfish shows aggression towards it , this will often trigger the larger fish to back off .
a version of the saddleback clownfish , seen in thailand , is patterned the same as the brown form from the philippines , but seems to be routinely all - black . this individual photographed around ko tao , thailand , by “amada44” | wikimedia | cc by - sa 3 . 0
can be territorial but generally only gets aggressive with other clownfish . you should not mix clownfish species unless you have a very large tank - on the order of 200 gallons .
you can find both tank raised and wild caught specimens in the trade . wild caught specimens are much more sensitive than tank raised specimens and can be hard to acclimatize to an aquarium . i recommend buying tank raised saddleback clownfish if possible . another reason for doing so is that the harvesting of clownfish for the aquarium trade is threatening the clown fish populations in some areas .
there are five longstanding members of the tomato complex , namely the red saddleback ( or fire ) clownfish ( amphiprion ephippium ) , the tomato clownfish ( amphiprion frenatus ) , mcculloch ' s ( or whitesnout ) clownfish ( amphiprion mccullochi ) , the cinnamon ( or red and black ) clownfish ( amphiprion melanopus ) , and the australian ( or ruby ) clownfish ( amphiprion rubrocinctus ) . of these , amphiprion frenatus and amphiprion melanopus are mostly commonly encountered in the trade . once regarded as an aberrant red color form of amphiprion melanopus , certain specimens of fijian origin are now being offered by some suppliers under the recently validated name amphiprion barberi .
ic - anemone is a citizen science project to learn more about clownfish and anemone conservation .
. it is a great choice for an aquarium if you want a clownfish anemone relationship .
this species is similar in temperament to sebae or clarkii clownfish , and do best in small groups or mated pairs . tank bred specimens tend to adapt to aquarium life better than wild caught specimens , but both are considered relatively easy to care for by intermediate to advanced aquarists . saddleback clownfish tend to be a little less aggressive and territorial than many other clownfish species , thus tend to do well in the reef aquarium environment ( especially when provided a suitable host anemone ) .
) will also lessen any aggression towards other fish in the aquarium and along with caves and crevices in the live rock will provide the saddleback clown with a place to retreat to when feeling threatened or when sleeping . this species also makes a great addition to most reef aquariums , as they will not harm corals or invertebrates , and are quite content to hang near their host anemone . saddleback clownfish are also successfully captive bred , and have even been known to breed in larger well maintained aquariums .
i actually think brown saddleback are really variable as adults . if you search videos of them in the wild , you will find that there are many different color variations all living within a lone anemone .
fire clownfish are different from other clownfish when it comes to being intolerant to copper exposure . copper is commonly used as a medication for protozoan parasites . however , fire clownfish does not tolerate copper exposure and different treatment options should be used for this species if treating for parasites .
the saddleback clownfish is not the easiest of the clownfish species to breed , but you should still be able to breed it if you try and are patient . it is easier to get tank raised fish to spawn than wild caught specimens . it can be bred in much the same way as other clown fish species and if you want to breed this clownfish species i recommend that you read our article on clownfish breeding . the fry are small and sensitive to poor water quality . make sure that you have a suitable very small fry food available when the fry becomes free swimming .
all three fishes in the saddleback complex are large , reaching 4 to 5 inches ( 100 to 120 millimeters ) in length . an aquarium of 40 gallons or more is advised for keeping any of these pairs .
the fire clownfish is the only clownfish which does not have striping as an adult . in the juvenile stage , these fish have between 1 and 3 white stripes on their body and head .
- column tough , leathery , and buried in substrate . tentalces long and pointed , often bright purple in color . not common in trade . hosts clarki , bluestripe , true percula , pink skunk and saddleback clownfishes .
a profile of the saddleback clownfish ( amphiprion polymnus ) , including : scientific name , other common names , identification , distribution , average size , habitat , minimum tank size suggested , reef tank suitability , preferred host anemone species , characteristics & compatibility , diet & feeding , guides fish care ratings and buy direct links .
they have bred over 300 saddleback clowns [ amphiprion polymnus ] , and quality marine has just received their first shipment . before shipping , cynthia delillo helped teach the students how to properly pack the shipment for a healthy arrival .
a pair of maroon clownfish ( premnas biaculeatus ) with their host bubble anemone ( entacmaea quadricolor ) .
the fire clownfish can be found in the western pacific including sumatra , java , malaysia and thailand .
the saddleback clownfish is easy to feed as it is omnivore and accepts almost all types of food . they can successfully be fed high quality marine flake food that contains both vegetable and meaty matter . i do however recommend giving them a more varied diet where a good flake food is used as a base and is complemented with items such as crab and shrimp meat as well suitable vegetables . the saddleback clownfish likes to eat algae and will graze on algae if the aquarium contains healthy algae growth . if the aquarium lacks algae it ' s extra important to provide plenty of vegetable matter in their diet . feed your fish 2 - 4 times a day .
the saddleback clownfish occurs in sediment - rich inlets and lagoons from northern australia and new guinea to southeast asia ( tropical ) . it is typically associated with the sea anemone species heteractis crispa and stichodactyla haddoni . the saddleback clownfish is available in two strains . the
common
strain bears a white head stripe and mid - body stripe ( which is usually saddle - like ) with a yellow to orange face , pectoral fins , and ventral area . individuals from new guinea may have much orange in the ventral area . the
black
strain is very dark - bodied but with bright yellow highlights . both strains reach a maximum length of 13 cm .
( saddleback ) is found from northern australia to southern japan , and from western indonesia to the solomon islands . it is imported from indonesia and the philippines . the color on this fish is variable , light brown , black , and orange and black . this clownfish has 2 or 3 broad white bands with the middle band starting mid body and extending into the to back of the dorsal fin . the middle stripe often resembles a horse saddle . the black color form of this clownfish is often misidentified as a black percula , of which is also a misidentification of the black ocellaris . the anemones the saddleback is normally associated with in the sea are the sebae (
the saddleback clownfish can be kept with most other small and friendly reef fish and invertebrates but should not be kept with small shrimps . ( they will eat the shrimp . ) this fish does not need an anemone as long as plenty of hiding places are provided but it seems like they might do better and be less stressed if an anemone is provided . the anemones heteractis crispa and stichodactyla haddoni are recommended for this species of clownfish .
while there are 10 species of host anemones and 30 species of clownfish , i will stick to the six most common host anemones , and eleven clownfish species the hobbyist is likely to encounter in the trade .
two tank bred white striped maroon clownfish ( premnas biaculeatus ) , ricky & lucy in a quaranteen tank .
hybrid clownfish ,
percularis
( a . occelaris var . x a . p ercula var . )
clownfish belong to the pomacentridae family and the amphiprioninae subfamily . the majority of these fish belong to the genus amphiprion . clownfish are very hardy and among the most common fish associated with marine aquariums . clownfish are similar to damselfish and both of these fish are classified in the same family . clownfish are most abundant throughout shallow waters in the indo - pacific region , and are almost always associated with sea anemones . clownfish can live safely within the stinging tentacles of a sea anemone , where they receive protection from predators and other territorial fish . most clownfish are brightly colored with white stripes on the head or side of the body . the average size of clownfish in an aquarium is around three inches , and in the wild they can be over seven inches . depending on the age of the fish , clownfish are found in either groups or mated pairs .
there are three similar , less commonly available species in the tomato complex . one is the australian clownfish ,
tentacles , who has kept a clownfish for all of 4 months ( ? maybe less ) , cannot .
most of clownfish are of the amphiprion genus , but there is a single species in the premnas genus .
rattanayuvakorn , s . , mungkornkarn , p . , thongpan , a . & chatchavalvanich , k . 2005 . embryonic development of saddleback anemonefish , amphiprion polymnus , linnaeus ( 1758 ) . kasetsart j ( nat sci ) 39 : 455–463 .
there are certain anemones that each type of clownfish is found with in nature , and the particular host anemones are listed with each clownfish in its guide . however many clowns will readily adopt other types of anemones in the aquarium . although there are over 1100 types of sea anemones , only these 10 species are known to host clownfish :
so we can use this information to better understand clownfish behaviour , species distribution , and the threats they face .
the clownfish anemone compatibility chart on this page lists some of the various anemone species along with compatible clownfish species that they can form a symbiotic relationship with . this relationship is called
sybmiotic
because both species benefit . the clownfish can protect the anemone from predation from certain anemone eating fish species ( racoon butterfly fish ) and the anemone can protect the clownfish from predation as well . clownfishes may also provide food in a round about way for the anemone . any food that the clownfish doesn ' t eat ( bits and scraps ) may be consumed by the anemone . they are also thought to feed off of the clownfish waste products , i . e . ammonia .
breeding pairs of clownfish ( such as these amphiprion frenatus ) fiercely guard their nests . photo by kenneth wingerter .
a mature a . latezonatus has a dark tail with a white edge . captive - bred latezonatus like this specimen are prone to misbarring , and when they do , typically a white saddleback midstripe is what remains as seen here . image by matt pedersen
the list of saltwater clownfish below includes many aquarium species . each fish guide has in - depth clownfish information with their places of origin , habitats , behaviors and the anemones they associate with . they also include the fish care needed for successfully keeping clownfish in saltwater aquariums . pictures are also provided with each guide to help with fish identification .
is from the east coast of africa and is very similar to clark’s clownfish . allard’s clowns may have nearly black bodies when they are adults , but they lack the black pigment in their yellow pelvic and anal fins . the midbody stripe on an allard’s clownfish is narrower than a clark’s center stripe . allard’s and the orange - fin clownfish (
b / w $ 20 - $ 50 unlike onyx clownfish , these darwin ocellaris can be all black and white .
captive - bred fiji sunkist skunk clownfish are now produced commercially by sustainable aquatics and others . image by sustainable aquatics .
clownfish usually have wider black bands bordering their white bars , particularly notable at the top rear of the head bar .
members of the saddleback complex are among the most challenging species of clownfish to maintain in captivity . a rather high level of care must be reached to ensure ( if it can be ensured ) the health and wellbeing of these sensitive animals . generally , attempts to keep these fishes should be undertaken by advanced aquarists ( especially so if host anemones are to be kept as well ) .
the beautiful details of male and female are seen up close on these mature cinnamon clownfish . as with most clownfish , aggression is lessened when there is no anemone present . these two seem content to just hang out at the bottom of the tank . you can see the larger fish , or female , periodically nudge the male as if to
keep him in line
! the cinnamon clownfish have a similar temperament as tomato clownfish , possibly more aggressive , depending on tank mates .
in personality , each of the many different kinds of clownfish has its own temperament . of those most commonly available , the maroon clownfish are notorious for their aggression toward tank mates , while tomato clownfish and cinnamon clowns are only moderately aggressive . the percula clownfish also tend to be somewhat aggressive but most of the other species tend to be more moderate . the ocellaris clown is notably mild - mannered . the skunk clowns tend towards shyness and can actually be dominated by aggressive tank mates .
) anemones in the sea . at aquaworld we have a mated pair of cinnamon clownfish that occupy a long tentacle anemone (
) , this is a smaller anemone and the ocellaris clownfish will often accept it within a few days after being introduced .
- species compatibility : themselves . although my lfs has a freakish cinnamon / tomato clownfish pair , this is strongly discouraged .
brandon rutherford ( center right ) and students pose with clownfish ready to ship from illinois to quality marine in los angeles .
here is a considerable amount of variation within the subfamily amphiprioninae , the clownfishes . these fishes are customarily divided into five groups , or species complexes . these include ( in descending order with respect to number of member species ) the clarkii complex , the skunk complex , the tomato complex , the saddleback complex , the percula complex , and the maroons . of these , the first three were each discussed in preceding parts of this series . this part will focus on one of the smaller , and certainly lesser known , of these groups , the saddleback complex .
which is burnt orange with a white head band stripe that lacks a pronounced black margin in adults , in contrast to the black border around the white stripe on both tomato and red and black clowns . the fins , nose , and belly are red in the australian clownfish . in my experience , these are not as hardy as the more popular tomato , red and black , or red saddleback clowns .
clownfish , with their clown - like markings and waddle - like swimming motion are truly the clowns of the sea ! this video contains many different kinds of clownfish as well as general aquarium care information for the
clown
in all of us .
in the aquarium it is best not to try to mix the different species of clownfish in the same aquarium , unless the aquarium is very large and has different species of host anemones . as a general rule never try to mix the maroon clownfish (
the fire clownfish is orange to red in coloration . early juvenile fish have 1 - 3 white stripes on the head and body . however , as the fish grow these stripes disappear and adult fish have no stripes . the posterior part of the body will develop a dark coloration as the fish grow and mature , which can have the appearance of a saddle ( hence it’s other common name red saddleback ) .
a photo with identification , characteristics , feeding and diet , and other profile information about the maroon clownfish ( premnas biaculeatus ) .
fire clownfish are aggressive , especially when defending their anemone homes from other clownfish . they will gladly fight any fish that they perceive as a potential threat and are a danger to smaller , more peaceful species . while this species does live in mated pairs in the wild , you may be better off keeping just one fire clownfish rather than risking the possibility of a male and female battling .
this is a list of the most common clownfish found in the aquarium trade and their host anemones they are most commonly associated with in the wild . in the aquarium many clownfish will accept other host anemones and even corals as hosts . if you want to duplicate the interaction of clownfish with anemones in your aquarium , you may use this list as a guide to selecting the proper pairing .
based mainly upon these characteristics , 28 clownfish species are conventionally divided into six groups , or complexes . these include the maroons , the percula complex , the saddleback complex , the tomato complex , the skunk complex , and the clarkii complex . the two largest complexes - the clarkii complex and skunk complex - were each here discussed in previous articles . this article will accordingly focus on the third largest complex , the tomato complex .
another classic example of the pink skunk clownfish photographed off cairns , australia , by teddy fotiou | flickr | cc by 2 . 0
( especially after the release of a certain animated movie several years ago ) . aquarists see that relationship and want to replicate it in their own aquarium , only to find that the clownfish and anemone they brought home don’t seem to want anything to do with one another . “why is that ? ! ” , many ask . “i thought they couldn’t live without each other ! ” the truth is… . they can . anemones don’t need clownfish and clownfish don’t need the anemone , especially in aquariums where ( hopefully ) they don’t have any predators to hide from . in the wild , the anemone’s stinging tentacles give the clownfish somewhere to hide from and the clownfish’s messy diet gives the anemones some extra food ( although there have been reports of clownfish actively feeding their anemones , but that’s another blog ) .
natural host anemones for fire clownfish include the bubble tip anemone ( entacmaea quadricolo r ) and the sebae anemone ( heteractis crispa ) .
saddleback and sleeping info added , sebea started , dont know much about them . . . anyone have some sebea info to contribute ? ? black / onyx perc coloration is finished , last thing i have on the list is anemone info on what clowns host what preferably . . . . any other suggestions ?
the saddleback clownfish is best kept in an aquarium of at least 30 gallon / 120 l . a smaller tank can be used for a single pair as a breeding tank . the aquarium should be decorated with a lot of caves and hiding places among live rock and coral . this fish does very well in a reef tank and is completely reef safe . provide if possible plenty of live rock with algae growth where the fish can graze algae .
some aquarists believe that tank - raised clownfish do not host anemones as readily as wild - caught clownfish after a few generations . the suggested reason is that their parents and grandparents have never seen anemones and therefore have lost the instinct or need for the protection from potential predators .
another pose of the rose or black - footed clownfish in the maldives – image by neville wootton | flickr | cc by 2 . 0
( ocellaris / false percula or nemo ) is the most common clownfish in the hobby . it is found from northwest australia to the ryukyu islands of southern japan . most of the imports come from indonesia and the philippines . this fish is nearly identical to the percula clownfish (
( maroon ) is the only clownfish of the genus premnas . this is the largest clownfish with females some times reaching as much as 7 inches ( 16 . 25 cm ) . maroon clownfish can be found from the philippines to western thailand and indonesia , northern queensland ( australia ) , to vanuatu . females of this species are usually a dark maroon red or brown in color while the males are more bright red . this clownfish most often has 3 white or yellow bands . the yellow band is reported to come from sumatra ( d . g . fautin / g . r . allen , 1992 ) , but i have also seen them in the philippines . the yellow band maroons always demand a higher price than the white band . it is often difficult to pair this clownfish . large females will some times if not often kill a potential mate when introduced to an aquarium together . if you try this you should keep an eye on the fish for at least an hour to make sure the pair will get along . it is best not to try to keep this clownfish with any other clownfish , as they can be very aggressive towards other clownfish species . in the sea , the maroon clownfish is only associated with the bubble anemone (
these saddleback clowns are available for purchase , and a portion of each sale will go back to the coral reef project . if you are a hobbyist , visit your local fish store ( lfs ) and ask about these . if you have a store , ask your account manager about how one can be yours .
clownfish have proven to be an exciting group to study how rapid diversification can occur following the acquisition of new resources . in this case , the resource was protection from their extremely efficient anemone hosts . following the initial formation of the group , there was another diversification as a . chrysogaster like clownfish reached the east coasts of madagascar and africa . recent research has parsed out most of the evolutionary relationships among the different species and how clownfish as a whole have changed over time . clownfish are very diverse in both physical shape , and behavior , and one of the most exciting aspects of husbandry within the clownfish family is understanding where each species comes from geographically , and how it fits in among all the others .
so , what can you do to increase the chances of making a successful match ? choose the right anemone ! not all anemones and clownfish are found together in nature and some clownfish have very picky tastes when it comes to where they want to live . some clownfish , especially tankraised fish that might have been captive - bred for many generations , may never choose to host in an anemone , but choosing one they are more likely to prefer will increase your chances . here are some of the more common aquarium anemones and some of the common clownfish that prefer them :
saddleback clownfish have a dark brown to almost black body with a wide white stripe behind the eye , another on the middle of the back , which slants backwards slightly ( giving the appearance of a white saddle ) . the caudal fin is mainly the same dark brown color as the body , usually with white areas on the top and bottom of the fin . the body is largest just behind the head area and tapers down as it reaches the tail fin .
as with any critter in the ocean , nothing is cast in stone , and many clownfish will not go anywhere near their
preferred
anemone . clownfish have been known to host many things other than anemones , including feather dusters and toadstool corals after rejecting every anemone presented to it .
amphiprion sandaracinos , the orange skunk clownfish , photographed in cebu , philippines , by per edin | flickr | cc - by - 2 . 0
the diet of clownfish consists of small crustaceans , plankton and algae . clownfish prefer to live in an anemone , but it is not required for long - term health and survival in an aquarium . ideally , clownfish should be purchased in small groups consisting of one species , and introduced to the aquarium simultaneously . it is difficult to maintain several different species together , as the more aggressive species will usually kill off the weaker individuals .
) in the area in other host anemones . this anemone is widely accepted as a host anemone by many species of clownfish . the cinnamon (
clownfish are a member of the damselfish family that evolved a unique symbiotic relationship with some species of sea anemones . these fish appear to have evolved a resistance to the stinging cells of their host . clownfish are also long lived small fish that have been known to live 20 plus years .
clownfish are friendly and have an amazing personality . i would recommend them to anyone new to marine fishkeeping as they are interesting and relatively hardy .
. the clownfish is the newest addition and it has not eaten since i brought it home about 3 - 4 days ago . i feed frozen
this video shows the darker maroon colored variation with the gold bands . these are said to have a nicer disposition than the white striped maroon clownfish .
that has a large splotched white patterning across its body . another is a solid orange clownfish , lacking the familiar white stripes , that is called the
many clownfish are very hardy and make great fish for a beginning aquarist . however there are a few that are somewhat more delicate , and some species that need to be kept singly . unless you have a very large tank it’s best to keep only one clownfish , or one mated pair per tank , as they can be very aggressive towards other clownfish species . these fish vary not only in their personalities but also in their level of care .
mated pairs will reproduce in captivity and many species have been successfully propagated . a stable aquarium is the key to successfully breeding and rearing clownfish . baby clownfish will need to be raised in a separate aquarium , as corals and other fish will consume the new fry within just a few hours . see
my clownfish is 17 years old or so . i bought it in 1989 . i even had a tomatoe clown that tortured it for 6 years , until the trigger fish killed the tomatoe . how many times do you think my clownfish has curled his body in the current ? amazing and captivating .
clownfish make sounds to defend their breeding and social status in their group , reveals a new study . | animal | pinterest | social status and animal
there are currently 30 described clownfish species and a number of them are available in the hobby . the easiest way to understand individual types and learn about its peculiarities is to group them into like kinds , so these fish have been grouped into
complexes
. there are basically six recognized clownfish complexes :
clownfish species that are most suitable for beginners are hardy and easy to obtain . these include the peaceful skunk clownfish and the mild - mannered ocellaris clownfish . the tomato and cinnamon clowns , along with the clark ' s anemonefish , are also very hardy and readily available but they are a bit more territorial . the maroons are very aggressive and have no tolerance for other clowns , not even their own kind , but they too are hardy and commonly available .
a really neat pair of allard ' s clownfish ( amphiprion allardi ) with their an adopted host . they show off their beauty in the leather toadstool coral of the sarcophyton genus , sharing an interesting symbiotic relationship . these clowns are related to the clarkii clownfish , except the allard ' s has a much prettier tailfin , white at the base and across the top to the tip in most cases . these clownfish are great for all aquarists , beginner to advanced .
i have a 55 gallon fowlr tank with 70 lbs of rock . currently in the tank are : 1 ocellaris clownfish , 1 green clown goby , 2
, sold in my area as the “black percula , ” is an attractive fish . members are black - bodied with yellow faces , white - fringed tail fins , and bright yellow - outlined pectoral fins . they have conventional saddleback striping on the head and tail only . the center stripe abandons the saddle shape for which the species is named .
( clark ' s ) is one of the most common clownfish in the hobby . it is found from micronesia to the persian gulf and from northern australia to southern japan . the color of this clownfish is variable , but normally it has three white stripes , one behind the eye , one mid body , and one at the base of the tail . the body color can be mostly yellow , orange , or black . in the sea it is not unusual to see large adults of this clownfish venture 20 or 30 feet ( 7 to 10 meters ) away from its host , often vocalizing and displaying to other clarks from other host anemones , most other clownfish stay close to their host . this is the only clownfish that can be found with all 10 host anemones including the
the clarkii complex is another group with prominent band patterns which contains 11 species . these are handsome , hardy clownfish favored by aquarists for their ease of care .
picasso $ 60 - $ 200 a very well recognized
designer
clownfish , some of the first were from ora , but are found in the wild .
data collected with the app will enable scientists to monitor density , diversity , health and interspecies relationships of clownfish and anemones in protected and exploited sites . this is important because estimating numbers of species in the wild is difficult and little is understood about the effects anemone bleaching and collection for aquariums is having on clownfish survival .


the black nudibranch , scientific name tambja capensis , is a species of colorful sea slug , a dorid nudibranch , a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family polyceridae .

this species is endemic to south africa .

black nudibranch

nudibranch necklace / sea slug decoration in gift bag . blue , black , orange chromodoris sea slug wall hanging / nudibranch jewelry gift
the black nudibranch is a large ( up to 80 mm ) deep - bodied nudibranch . it is easily recognised because of its blue - black colour and bright turquoise marginal line . some specimens are brownish with a purple marginal line . its gills and rhinophores are black .
rudman , w . b . , 2000 ( apr 10 ) . comment on black nudibranch by eric jensen .
rudman , w . b . , 2001 ( apr 11 ) . comment on solid black nudibranch by nathan paden .
the black nudibranch feeds on tree - like bryozoans . its egg ribbon is a bright yellow rose - like spiral .
last night i discovered a black nudibranch in my reef tank . it very closely resembles the body type of the risbecia tryoni nudibranch . it ' s rhinophores are tipped in white but the remainder of the nudibranch is solid black . i reviewed your site extensively looking for possibliities and the dendrodoris nigra and dendrodoris fumata do not appear to be viable candidates . their body shape is not right and my nudibranch does not have a flowing mantle at all .
unknown black sea slug in aquarium from : nate c . , february 16 , 2003
ocean black and white vase sculpture . large statement vase , functional art by chelsea mae
the black nudibranch ( tambja capensis ) is only found in south africa , and is often not black . these nudibranchs occur in brown ( below ) to reddish morphs , with some even appearing olive green . the turquoise stripes down their flanks are characteristic .
is a common species of marine nudibranch native to the pacific and indian oceans .
nybakken jw . abundance , diversity and temporal variability in a california intertidal nudibranch assemblage .
david behrens , nudibranch behaviour , newworld publication inc . , 2005 , isbn 978 - 1878348418
are orange to yellow . the main background color is bluish , the intensity of the latter varying from blue - grey to intense blue , slightly speckled by tiny black spots . the blue dorsal side and the foot are bordered with a black line which can be discontinuous depending on the specimen . a black dash between the
i found a nudibranch that is either solid black or dark , dark blue with white tips on his antenna . it is about 2 - 1 / 2
long . any idea what it is ? eric jensen
black phyllid nudibranch phyllidiella nigra family phyllidiidae updated oct 2016 where seen ? this black nudibranch with pink bumps is often seen on our southern shores , near coral rubble and reefs . features : 4 - 5 cm long . body long , hard with bumps ( called tubercles ) that are evenly distributed throughout its body ( not clustered in groups or in ridges along the body ) . the bumps are tall and rounded , are pink to red near the tips , but black where they join the body . the short rhinophores are black . when disturbed , it secretes a milky substance . the broad foot on the underside is bluish and does not have a line along the centre .
megina c , gosliner t , cervera jl . the use of trophic resources by a generalist aeolid nudibranch
some nudibranchs create their own food by eating coral with algae . the nudibranch absorbs the algae ' s chloroplasts into the cerata , where they do photosynthesis using the sun and provide nutrients to sustain the nudibranch for months .
has persisted at duxbury reef , where it has often been the most abundant nudibranch present ( pers obs ) .
spp . the most frequent . nudibranch cerata were observed in the feces of three individuals . two cerata were from
sea slugs are also called nudibranch : with care may be kept in the saltwater reef aquarium or invertebrate aquarium .
thumbnail species colours are white , grey , black , brown , pink , red , orange , yellow , green , blue and violet .
is blue , black , white and yellow with orange rhinophores and gills . this species will appear in four colours ! use body colours .
genetic evidence of phenotypic polymorphism in the aeolid nudibranch flabellina verrucosa ( m . sars , 1829 ) ( opisthobranchia : nudibranchia )
many nudis graze on sponges or corals . i have never heard of any that feed on fish . do you have any black sponges in your tank ?
ellis , w . 1999 .
australasian nudibranch news
( on - line pdf ) . accessed december 02 , 2010 at urltoken .
chromodoris annae is a species of sea slug , a very colorful nudibranch , a shell - less marine gastropod mollusk in the family chromodorididae .
hi , my tank has been set up for 5 years and tonight i caught what appears to be a black nudibranch on the glass . i took a few photos , but they are not very good . he has two antennae and here are a few photos : the two antennae are on the right side . it ' s black with tiny white specks / spots . should i banish it to the sump or put it back in the tank ? thanks ! joyce
banks , i . 2006 .
black - margined glossodoris
( on - line ) . diving the gold coast . accessed december 02 , 2010 at urltoken .
opalescent or horned nudibranch . its cerata are orange with white tips . credit : steven trainoff ph . d . / moment open / getty images
the blue velvet nudibranch , also known as the head shield sea slug , is black in color with blue lines around the outside of its body and down the middle of its head . it has a hammer shaped head and two appendages at the rear , mimicking a flatworm . this specialized eater will consume flatworms in the…
these nudibranchs can grow quite large – apart from a few gas flame nudibranchs the size of boerewors rolls that i’ve spotted on more isolated dive sites , black nudibranchs seem to be among the largest variety of local nudibranch . they feed on bryzoans ( moss animals ) and lay spiral - shaped egg ribbons which are coloured yellow to orange .
is the mediterranean nudibranch cratena peregrina ( gmelin , 1791 ) present on the brazilian coast ? integrative species delimitation and description of cratena minor n . sp .
i was just looking in my 120 gal reef tank and i noticed a little black nudibranch and about an inch and a half long so i pulled him out and tossed him in my 10 gal nano tank . is he a coral eater ? i only got a bad pic of him during the move it disappeared too quickly into the 10 gal .
cimino , g . , s . de rosa , s . de stefano , g . sodano , g . villani . 1999 . dorid nudibranch elaborates its own chemical defense .
fontana , a . , p . cavaliere , n . ungur , l . d ' souza , p . parameswaram , g . cimino . 1999 . new scalaranes from the nudibranch
of black tattoo ink . the ink is applied on the dorsum part of the animal in up to 3 marks per individual , permitting a simple code to be developed . the marks last for up to 6wk .
gavagnin m , castelluccio f , cimino g ( 1999a ) austrodorin - a and - b : first tricyclic diterpenoid 2′ - monoglyceryl esters from an antarctic nudibranch . tetrahedron lett 40 : 8471–8475
, but others had been digested and consisted of empty shells . another individual from duxbury reef had significant amounts of amorphous soft tissue in the feces , possibly the remains of a nudibranch .
martin r , hild s , walther p , ploss k , boland w , tomaschko k - h ( 2007a ) granular chitin in the epidermis of nudibranch molluscs . biol bull 213 : 307–315
dear eric , it would be useful to know where in the world you saw this black nudibranch . nudibranchs , like most animals , each have their own geographic range . it is most unlikely that an animal you found in the mediterranean would also live in say , the west coast of north america . so if i knew where you found your animal i would have a much better idea of what you most likely saw .
is the mediterranean nudibranch cratena peregrina ( gmelin , 1791 ) present on the brazilian coast ? integrative species delimitation and description of cratena minor n . sp . | journal of molluscan studies | oxford academic
nudis have very specific diets . i am just taking a guess here but yours appears that it may feed on black sponges . in most cases if it was a coral eater it would resemble the type of coral it feeds on .
mean number ( + se ) of nudibranchs found at a pillar point and b scott creek , before and after arrival of p . hiltoni , grouped by species vulnerability to predation by p . hiltoni . gray not vulnerable ; black vulnerable
the body coloration might vary from dark blue to black or even brownish . it has a distinctive green , blue or turquoise line around the upper body margin . the eggs are a beautiful spiral rosette type of form yellow or orange in coloration .
) . this nudibranch is missing a rhinophore . the image shows its oral tentacles ( at front ) , one rhinophore ( horn - like appendage on top ) and cerata ( flowing appendages on back ) . courtesy
the other possibility is that you have a ' slug - like ' snail such as scutus which travels well on ' live rock ' , is black , and feeds on algae . one easy way to tell is to gently poke its back and see if it has a white shell which is usually hidden underneath black skin flaps . have a look at the scutus page for some photos . the other thing ito look for are the position of the ' rhinophores ' ? are they under the mantle skirt or do they emerge from pockets on the back ?
for convenience , this section is separated by species , aplysia californica , corambe steinbergae , diaulula sandiegensis , melibe leonina , onchidoris bilamellata , and tritonia diomedea . a final short section deals with how to mark a nudibranch using stains and inks .
king , r . is it a worm ? a snail ? no . . . it ' s a nudibranch ! . southeast regional taxonomic center , marine resources research institute , south carolina department of natural resources . accessed november 10 , 2011 .
…hermit crab or dwarf yellow tip hermit crab or dwarf zebra hermit ( hawaii ) , abalone or banded trochus snails or turban snails , court jester goby or black sailfin blenny , lettuce sea slugs , green , and emerald crabs . package contents quantity of speciesper aquarium size ( gallon ) 30 55 75 100 125 …
settlement of both nudibranch species occurs before peak abundance of their prey , thus ensuring that sufficient food is available to satisfy the nutritional needs of the older , larger stages . the potential for exploitative food competition exists , but may be somewhat lessened by a longer developmental time of
…wrasse , is a helpful pest controller with big personality and abundant beauty . often seen in shades of light to dark green , brownish - red to even black , the sea grass wrasse ' s blade - like body allows it to disappear into the sea grass beds and sandy algal flats of lagoons and mangrove channels it…
schultz st , goddard jhr , gosliner tm , mason de , pence we , mcdonald gr , pearse vb , pearse js ( 2011 ) climate - index response profiling indicates larval transport is driving population fluctuations in nudibranch gastropods from the northeast pacific ocean . limnol oceanog ( in press )
description : the greek goddess is one of the more ornate nudibranch . they are a royal blue to black with brilliant yellow / orange markings . nudibranchs have highly specialized diets and water quality requirements . they should be housed by aquatists with enough ability to fill its specialized needs . though highly attractive , these slugs should be kept only by experienced aquarists . level of care : expert only . all in - tank powerheads or pump inlets must be protected with a screen or sponge to keep from harm . sponge is required as food for this speciallized feeder . acclimation time : 1 + hours approximate purchase size : 2
to 2 - 1 / 2
is an elongate sea slug that is white to creamish with a dark band down the dorsal midline . the mantle edge is very sinuous and has a dark brown to black margin . this sea slug has dark rhinophore clubs on the dorsal surface . gills range in number from 14 - 22 . the simple gills are also long , cream colored and have a dark margin .
vinicius padula , ana karla araújo , helena matthews - cascon , michael schrödl ; is the mediterranean nudibranch cratena peregrina ( gmelin , 1791 ) present on the brazilian coast ? integrative species delimitation and description of cratena minor n . sp . , journal of molluscan studies , volume 80 , issue 5 , 1 december 2014 , pages 575–584 , urltoken
the bottom - dwelling , jelly - bodied nudibranch ( new - dih - bronk ) might seem an unlikely canvas for mother nature to express her wildest indulgences of color and form . but these shell - less mollusks , part of the sea slug family , bear some of the most fascinating shapes , sumptuous hues , and intricate patterns of any animal
there are more than 2 , 000 known species of nudibranch , and new ones are being identified almost daily . they are found throughout the world ' s oceans , but are most abundant in shallow , tropical waters . their scientific name , nudibranchia , means naked gills , and describes the feathery gills and horns that most wear on their backs .
while waiting for your reply , i could guess at dendrodoris nigra or dendrodoris fumata which both have colour forms which are essentially black with white tipped rhinophores ( head tentacles ) . they are both found in the tropical and subtropical indian and western pacific oceans . have a look at the pages in the forum on those two species ( by clicking on the names ) and see if they look like your animal . best wishes , bill rudman .
dear nathan , tha white - tipped rhinophores sound like dendrodoris nigra but you don ' t mention anything about gills which makes me wonder if you have a nudibranch at all . if you have , it is extremely lucky , having arrived in your aquarium either with some live rock that had the right sponge food living on it , or it has found the right sponge already living in your aquarium .
to estimate nudibranch population abundance prior to the arrival of phidiana hiltoni , we used timed counts ( n = 5 ) of nudibranchs conducted by tg in june and july 1969 , january and june 1970 , and june 1972 , and three by jg in december 1974 and may and december 1975 . since december 2007 we have conducted , roughly quarterly , an additional 11 timed counts of nudibranchs in the same area as the original counts . we avoided sampling during conditions that could impede the counts , particularly high wave surge and rainfall . for all analyses , we standardized nudibranch counts to number of individuals h −1 observer −1 or number of species h −1 observer −1 . tg and ( or ) jg conducted all counts during both time periods , assisted at times by experienced observers familiar with intertidal nudibranchs from california . therefore , we consider minimal any effect of observer on the counts .
mean number ( + se ) of a individuals and b species of nudibranchs found at duxbury reef during 1969–1975 ( n = 7 counts ) and 2007–2009 ( n = 5 counts ) , grouped by species vulnerability to predation by p . hiltoni as outlined in “ materials and methods ” . key : gray , not vulnerable ; black , vulnerable . asterisks ( * ) indicate pairs of values for the different time periods significantly different at p < 0 . 05 by a one - tailed t - test assuming unequal variances
the above photo illustrates a good example of the role chemicals play in the life of these animals . the two nudibranchs are the chromodorid glossodoris pallida on a large colony of a grey - black sponge which is almost certainly their food , the dictyoceratid sponge cacospongia sp . a study by avila & paul ( 1997 ) on this species shows that , like other chromodorids , g . pallida is storing antifeedant chemicals , which are derived from its food , in particular parts of its body . they also showed that these chemicals do indeed deter fish .
for the above analysis , we averaged counts made within 2 months of each other ( june and july 1969 , april and june 2008 , and october and december 2009 ) and then excluded sample dates ( april 2009 only ) separated by less than 4 months in order to minimize potential autocorrelation between counts . in this analysis , we also excluded one anomalously low sample ( october 2008 ) , in which three observers searching for 1 h found only a single nudibranch . schultz et al . (
this section continues with information on diets and feeding ecology of west - coast nudibranch & relatives genera . information on diets and feeding ecology of west - coast genera is provided below for sacoglossans and in 6 other sections : preferred foods feeding ecology & growth : genera a - c , preferred foods feeding ecology & growth : genera d - g , preferred foods feeding ecology & growth : genera h - m , preferred foods feeding ecology & growth : genera n - p , preferred foods feeding ecology & growth : genera r - t , and ingestive conditioning .
eolid nudibranchs can use their cerata for defense . when they eat prey with nematocysts ( such as portuguese man - of - wars ) , the nematocysts are eaten but not discharged , and instead are stored in the nudibranch ' s cerata where they can be used to sting predators . dorid nudibranchs make their own toxins or absorb toxins them from their food and release those into the water when needed . despite the unsavory or toxic taste they can present to their predators , most nudibranchs are harmless to humans . one exception , glaucus atlanticus ( shown here ) , eats portuguese man - of - wars and stores their venom for its own use , and touching them can result in a sting .
there are over 3 , 000 species of nudibranchs , and new species are still being discovered . they range in size from a few millimeters to 12 inches long and can weigh up to just over 3 pounds . if you ' ve seen one nudibranch , you haven ' t seen them all . they come in a wide variety of colors and shapes — many have brightly colored stripes or spots and flamboyant appendages on their head and back . nudibranchs are found in all the world ' s oceans , from cold water to warm water . you might find nudibranchs in your local tide pool , while snorkeling or diving on a tropical coral reef , or even in some of the coldest parts of the ocean .
the plexiglas sheets are cleaned carefully after each test to remove mucus - trail residues . each of 16 test aquaria carries a plexiglas bottom divided into halves and treated to be smooth / smooth , smooth / rough , rough / smooth , or rough / rough . matched sets of 4 of these are exposed to 4 conditions of light : light / light , light / dark , dark / light , and dark / dark . this creates 32 combinations of light and texture , of which half are duplicates ( differing only in which ends of the aquaria are used ) . only half are used for data collection ( see last note below for further explanation ) . each test involves a nudibranch being placed in an aquarium in seawater and monitored for 30min . its choice is measured by the time it spends in a certain half of the aquarium
to evaluate the alternative hypothesis that abundance changes at duxbury reef were influenced more by species’ geographic range than their vulnerability to p . hiltoni ( e . g . , like p . hiltoni , other southern species might have increased between the two time periods , compared to northern species ) , we assigned nudibranch species to geographic range groups following schultz et al . ( 2011 ) , who defined ( 1 ) southern species as those with northern range limits typically in northern california or southern oregon , ( 2 ) northern species as those with southern limits in southern california or northern baja california , and ( 3 ) widespread species as those extending both north of the southern species and south of the northern species . we then compared the number of species that tended to increase or decrease in abundance , grouped by geographic range and vulnerability to p . hiltoni .
pola m . , cervera j . l . & gosliner t . m . ( 2006 ) taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of the genus tambja burn , 1962 ( mollusca , nudibranchia , polyceridae ) . zoologica scripta 35 ( 5 ) : 491 - 530 . [ details ] available for editors [ request ]
willan r . c . & chang y . - w . [ yen - wei ] . ( 2017 ) . description of three new species of tambja ( gastropoda , nudibranchia , polyceridae ) from the western pacific ocean reveals morphological characters with taxonomic and phylogenetic significance for traditional polyceridae and related ' phaneorobranch ' nudibranchs . basteria . 81 ( 1 - 3 ) : 1 - 23 . [ details ]
branch , g . m . et al . ( 2002 ) . two oceans . 5th impression . david philip , cate town & johannesburg . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
to barcode of life ( 1 barcode ) to biodiversity heritage library ( 1 publication ) to encyclopedia of life to genbank ( 2 nucleotides ; 1 proteins ) to sea slug forum ( via archive . org )
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd html 4 . 01 transitional / / en
urltoken
basically its hard to be sure what you have without an illustration . if it won ' t cooperate for a photo , could you manage a rough drawing or two which you could scan and send me ? best wishes , bill rudman
dendrodoris nigra & eggs from lord howe is . from : ian hutton , february 25 , 2004
dendrodoris nigra from lord howe island from : w . b . rudman , january 27 , 2003
dendrodoris nigra from christmas island from : w . b . rudman , may 16 , 2002
dendrodoris nigra from saudi arabia from : gordon t . smith , february 6 , 2001
pages on dendrodoris nigra & d . fumata from : bill rudman . , august 19 , 1999
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
because of the sheer size of our forum , we ' ve been forced to limit selling and trading to members who ' ve met a couple of criteria . ( if you ' re seeing this message , you haven ' t met them yet . ) please take a moment to acquaint yourself with our selling / trading rules to help make your stay a long and rewarding one .
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ my advice : walk away . do nothing . til tomorrow . if its still alive , it will hopefully be fine . if you do not see it , do not try to find it . it may be hiding . just leave it alone current tank info : starting over ! 125 gallon . soon to be home to blackfoot clowns , a . nigripes
yes , i would think that if it ' s been in there this long , it would be ok . i ' ve lost almost all my small fish and can not put any gobies , anthias , etc . in as i think i have a predator , however , i don ' t think this nudi ( around 1
long ) would bother fish even while they sleep . it moves pretty fast but i don ' t know if it will bother sleeping fish ? i worry that if i put it in the sump that there may not be the type of food / conditions that it requires . i don ' t want to kill it if it is harmless . joyce
imo probably just a harmless algea eater . . . . but it looks like its tasted blood ! aaaaaaaaaaa
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ don ' t take life too seriously , nobody gets out alive anyway . current tank info : 55 gal reef , 24 cube
one way to find out . set up a little ten gallon . put it in , and a small $ 5 fish . enjoy .
hi don , thank you for the links ! ! ! i put it back in the tank last night before i went to bed , as i was worried the bucket water would get too cold overnight . i think it looks quite a bit like the dendrodoris nigra . i bought some small frags last month from other reefers at the ventura frag swap . there was one 3 - 4
polyp rock that it could have been hidden on . thanks again ! joyce
it certainly could be either d . nigra or fumata . one way to tell is by looking at the gills - if there are about 5 large bushy ones in a circle then it ' s d . fumata ; d . nigra has about 10 small ones in an u or incomplete circle . otherwise both species shows the same variation in color . they are thought to eat small sponges which hide in crevices or on the underside of rocks . it ' s quite likely it was hiding on the frags you bought last month .
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ cheers , leslie so many worms , so little time . . . natural history museum of los angeles county
thank you leslie ! it appeared to be eating the algae on the glass . it was fun unexpectedly finding a new critter and i appreciate the links , id ' s and information . joyce
it may be cruising the glass , but if it ' s tasting algae then it ' s starving . all nudibranchs are exclusively carnivorous .
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ some say the sun rises in the east . some say it rises in the west . the truth must be somewhere in the middle . current tank info : tore them down to move and haven ' t had the time or money to set them back up
greenbean - will it eat left over fish food such as mysis and cyclopeeze ? a few others have posted that it feeds on sponges , which i do have in my tank , so i hope that is the case . joyce
no , it ' s a specialized predator and will only eat a certain type or types of sponges .
thank you leslie . i have blue sponges in the tank and a rock in the sump that is covered with white sponge that i will move into the display tank in the hopes it will eat it . joyce
update , it ' s made it ' s way from the tank , through the overflow into the sump , assuming i only have one . i saw it today on the edge of my filter sock as i was changing them . i gently moved it onto the rocks in the sump . i don ' t know what kind of sponge it likes , but there are lots of white sponges on the sump rock . joyce
powered by vbulletin® version 3 . 8 . 4 copyright ©2000 - 2018 , jelsoft enterprises ltd . powered by searchlight © 2018 axivo inc .
use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement . reef central tm reef central , llc . copyright ©1999 - 2014
user alert system provided by advanced user tagging v3 . 3 . 0 ( pro ) - vbulletin mods & addons copyright © 2018 dragonbyte technologies ltd .
choose macrolepidotus macrolepidotus ( 1 ) sp sp . ( 1 ) varians varians ( 1 )
choose 7278f 72 - 78° f ( 3 ) dkh812 dkh 8 - 12 ( 3 ) ph8184 ph 8 . 1 - 8 . 4 ( 3 ) sg10231025 sg 1 . 023 - 1 . 025 ( 2 ) sg10201025 sg 1 . 020 - 1 . 025 ( 1 )
* free shipping on qualifying aquatic life orders $ 99 and up . free shipping on qualifying aquarium supplies orders $ 19 and up . excludes frozen foods .
copyright © 2018 , doctors foster and smith . all rights reserved . 2253 air park road , p . o . box 100 , rhinelander , wisconsin 54501
terumbu selegie , jun 11 photo shared by loh kok sheng on his blog .
pulau semakau ( north ) , apr 16 photo shared by jialin liu on facebook .
pulau semakau , feb 09 photo shared by loh kok sheng on his blog .
terumbu semakau , may 10 photo shared by loh kok sheng on his blog .
terumbu berkas , jan 10 photo shared by loh kok sheng on his flickr .
beting bemban besar , apr 10 photo shared by loh kok sheng on his flickr .
terumbu bemban , jun 10 photo shared by loh kok sheng on his flickr .
seringat - kias , nov 14 photo shared by loh kok sheng on facebook .
tan siong kiat and henrietta p . m . woo , 2010 preliminary checklist of the molluscs of singapore ( pdf ) , raffles museum of biodiversity research , national university of singapore .
wells , fred e . and clayton w . bryce . 2000 . slugs of western australia : a guide to the species from the indian to west pacific oceans . western australian museum . 184 pp .
coleman , neville . 2001 . 1001 nudibranchs : catalogue of indo - pacific sea slugs . neville coleman ' s underwater geographic pty ltd , australia . 144pp .
just scroll thought the thumbnails and see if you can find a match , click on it and that species page will open .
some species can have more than one colour , so that species will appear in those colours . for example chromodoris eliabethina
save my name , email , and website in this browser for the next time i comment .
if you touch it does the back split open and have a white hard shell ? it is safe if so and it is an algae eater . it is a sea slug called
if you touch it does the back split open and have a white hard shell ? it is safe if so and it is an algae eater . it is a sea slug called scutus if it does .
no i picked it up and it stayed like a squishy long thing it doesn ' t have a shell . it does have one white spot on its back and one on each antenna .
after you id keep it in that tank for a few weeks just in case . unless you are absolutely sure . if you id wrong it can mean the difference between a harmless algae eater or a coral killer .
no i picked it up and it stayed like a squishy long thing it doesn ' t have a shell . it does have one white spot on its back and one on each antenna . sent from my iphone using tapatalk
i saw one of those in my google searches . but i didn ' t see wow on the antenna in your pic , so kept looking
good idea to be careful . it is more than likely safe or you would have seen some damage on corals . but the one time you aren ' t careful it bites you in the butt . lol
i know mark at coral shop in burlington was trying to get some in as they are great algae eaters . maybe you could shoot him a pic and see if he can confirm if its the same .
on another note hopefully its not like the tropical frogs and after touching them you slip into coma in couple of days or your skin starts to bubble up and fall off your arm .
on another note hopefully its not like the tropical frogs and after touching them you slip into coma in couple of days or your skin starts to bubble up and fall off your arm . sorry i couldn ' t resist . skim
everything ocean related , with a special focus on scuba diving the rich coastal waters of cape town , south africa .
enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email .
they are one of the nudibranchs i see relatively frequently . their large size helps with spotting them , as well as the fact that they often sit on colourful surfaces . i’ve seen them at pie rock , partridge point , a frame and other false bay sites , and at north paw in the atlantic .
you can find out about all kinds of nudibranchs in in nudibranchs of the cape peninsula and false bay by guido zsilavecz of surg .
lapsed mathematician , creator of order , formulator of hypotheses . lover of the ocean , being outdoors , the bush , reading , photography , travelling ( especially in africa ) and road trips . view all posts by clare
beginning of a dialog window , including tabbed navigation to register an account or sign in to an existing account . both registration and sign in support using google and facebook accounts . escape will close this window .
by clicking register , you agree to etsy ' s terms of use and privacy policy . etsy may send you communications ; you may change your preferences in your account settings .
you ' ve already signed up for some newsletters , but you haven ' t confirmed your address . register to confirm your address .
set where you live , what language you speak , and the currency you use . learn more .
start typing the name of a page . hit esc to close , enter to select the first result .
? well you ' re in luck , because here they come . there are
eol content is automatically assembled from many different content providers . as a result , from time to time you may find pages on eol that are confusing .
to request an improvement , please leave a comment on the page . thank you !
these keywords were added by machine and not by the authors . this process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves .
we wish to thank j . cristobo , c . angulo - preckler , m . bas , b . figuerola , l . núñez - pons , a . riesgo , and s . taboada for their help in the field work . we are indebted to the crews of the bio - las palmas , the bio - hespérides , and the “gabriel de castilla” spanish antarctic base , which provided logistic support during the actiquim - 3 and 4 cruises . special thanks are given to the icb - nmr service . a . garcía , r . rivera , and a . riesgo provided support in transmission electron microscopy . funding was provided by the spanish government through the actiquim - ii ( ctm2010 - 17415 / ant ) and distantcom ( ctm2013 - 42667 / ant ) projects , and by the italian pnra through the research project 2009 / a1 . 06 . j . m . was supported by a fpi of the spanish government ( bes - 2011 - 045325 ) .
arnaud pm , troncoso js , ramos a ( 2001 ) species diversity and assemblages of macrobenthic mollusca from the south shetland islands and bransfield strait ( antarctica ) . polar biol 24 : 105–112
avila c ( 1995 ) natural products of opisthobranch molluscs : a biological review . oceanogr mar biol 33 : 487–559
avila c , durfort m ( 1996 ) histology of epithelia and mantle glands of selected species of doridacean mollusks with chemical defensive strategies . veliger 39 : 148–163
: is the location of diet - derived metabolites important for defense ? mar ecol prog ser 150 : 171–180 . doi :
eliot , 1907 : defensive role and origin of its natural products . j exp mar bio ecol 252 : 27–44
avila c , taboada s , núñez - pons l ( 2008 ) antarctic marine chemical ecology : what is next ? mar ecol 29 : 1–71 . doi :
barnes dka , brockington s ( 2003 ) zoobenthic biodiversity , biomass and abundance at adelaide island , antarctica . mar ecol prog ser 249 : 145–155
barnes dka , bullough lw ( 1996 ) some observations on the diet and distribution of nudibranchs at signy island , antarctica . j molluscan stud 62 : 281–287
benkendorff k , davis ar , bremner jb ( 2001 ) chemical defense in the egg masses of benthic invertebrates : an assessment of antibacterial activity in 39 mollusks and 4 polychaetes . j invertebr pathol 78 : 109–118 . doi :
carbone m , gavagnin m , haber m , guo y - w , fontana a , manzo e , genta - jouve g , tsoukatou m , rudman wb , cimino g , ghiselin mt , mollo e ( 2013 ) packaging and delivery of chemical weapons : a defensive trojan horse stratagem in chromodorid nudibranchs . plos one 8 : e62075 . doi :
cimino g , ghiselin mt ( 2009 ) chemical defense and the evolution of opisthobranch gastropods . proc calif acad sci 60 : 175–422
davies - coleman mt ( 2006 ) secondary metabolites from the marine gastropod molluscs of antarctica , southern africa and south america . in : cimino g , gavagnin m ( eds ) molluscs : from chemo - ecological study to biotechnological application , vol 43 . series : progress in molecular and subcellular biology . subseries : marine molecular biotechnology . springer , berlin , pp 133–157
dayton pk , robilliard ga , paine rt , dayton lb ( 1974 ) biological accommodation in the benthic community at mcmurdo sound , antarctica . ecol monogr 44 : 105–128
figuerola b , núñez - pons l , moles j , avila c ( 2013 ) feeding repellence in antarctic bryozoans . naturwissenschaften 100 : 1069–1081 . doi :
species ( gastropoda : nudibranchia ) : ultrastructure and chemical analysis of the mantle dermal formations ( mdfs ) . mar biol 106 : 245–250
: new terpenoid acylglycerols and revision of the previous stereochemistry . tetrahedron 59 : 5579–5583 . doi :
lin z , torres jp , ammon ma , marett l , teichert rw , reilly ca , kwan jc , hughen rw , flores m , tianero md , peraud o , cox je , light ar , villaraza ajl , haygood mg , concepcion gp , olivera bm , schmidt ew ( 2013 ) a bacterial source for mollusk pyrone polyketides . chem biol 20 : 73–81 . doi :
martin r , tomaschko k - h , walther p ( 2007b ) protective skin structures in shell - less marine gastropods . mar biol 150 : 807–817 . doi :
mcclintock jb , baker bj ( 1997a ) a review of the chemical ecology of antarctic marine invertebrates . integr comp biol 37 : 329–342 . doi :
mcclintock jb , baker bj ( 1997b ) palatability and chemical defense of eggs , embryos and larvae of shallow - water antarctic marine invertebrates . mar ecol 154 : 121–131
mcclintock jb , janssen j ( 1990 ) pteropod abduction as a chemical defence in a pelagic antarctic amphipod . nature 346 : 462–464 . doi :
( mollusca : nudibranchia : charcotiidae ) . j crustac biol 35 : 97–104 . doi :
moles j , figuerola b , campanyà n , monleón - getino t , taboada s , avila c ( 2015b ) distribution patterns in antarctic and subantarctic echinoderms . polar biol 38 : 799–813 . doi :
obis ( 2014 ) global biodiversity indices from the ocean biogeographic information system . intergovernmental oceanographic commission of unesco .
pola m , gosliner tm ( 2010 ) the first molecular phylogeny of cladobranchian opisthobranchs ( mollusca , gastropoda , nudibranchia ) . mol phylogenet evol 56 : 931–941 . doi :
putz a , könig gm , wägele h ( 2010 ) defensive strategies of cladobranchia ( gastropoda , opisthobranchia ) . nat prod rep 27 : 1386–1402 . doi :
reynolds es ( 1963 ) the use of lead citrate at high ph as an electron - opaque stain in electron microscopy . j cell biol 17 : 208–212
rhoades df , gates rg ( 1976 ) toward a general theory of plant antiherbivore chemistry . recent adv phytochem 10 : 168–213
schmekel l ( 1982 ) vorkommen und feinstruktur der vakuolenepidermis von nudibranchiern ( gastropoda opisthobranchia ) . malacologia 22 : 631–635
shields cc , marko pb , woods ha , moran al ( 2009 ) nudibranchs in the ross sea , antarctica : lineage diversity and divergence estimated using methods of molecular phylogenetics and sequence divergence . masters thesis , clemson university , clemson , south carolina , 82 pp
sokal rr , rohlf fj ( 1995 ) biometry : the principles and practice of statistics in biological research . freeman wh , new york
vayssière a ( 1906 ) mollusques nudibranches et marséniadés . expédition antart . française commendée par le dr . jean charcot , pp 1–51
wägele h ( 1989 ) on the morphology and ultrastucture of some egg - clutches of antarctic nudibranchs ( gastropoda ) . zool anz 222 : 225–243
wägele h ( 1991 ) the distribution of some endemic antarctic nudibranchia . malacol soc lond 57 : 337–345
wägele h ( 1996 ) on egg clutches of some antarctic opisthobranchia . molluscan reprod malacol rev suppl 6 : 21–30
wägele h ( 1997 ) histological investigation of some organs and specialized cellular structures in opisthobranchia ( gastropoda ) with the potential to yield phylogenetically significant characters . zool anz 236 : 119–131
wägele h ( 1998 ) histological investigation of some organs and specialised cellular structures in opisthobranchia ( gastropoda ) with the potential to yield phylogenetically significant characters . zool anz 236 : 119–131
wägele h , klussmann - kolb a ( 2005 ) opisthobranchia ( mollusca , gastropoda ) —more than just slimy slugs . shell reduction and its implications on defence and foraging . front zool 2 : 1–18 . doi :
wägele h , willan r ( 2000 ) phylogeny of the nudibranchia . zool j linn soc 130 : 83–181 . doi :
vayssière , 1906 ( nudibranchia : arminoidea : charcotiidae ) from signy island , antarctica . j molluscan stud 61 : 197–207
wägele h , ballesteros m , avila c ( 2006 ) defensive glandular structures in opisthobranch molluscs—from histology to ecology . oceanogr mar biol 44 : 197–276
wägele h , klussmann - kolb a , verbeek e , schrödl m ( 2014 ) flashback and foreshadowing—a review of the taxon opisthobranchia . org div evol 14 : 133–149 . doi :
wilson ng , maschek ja , baker bj ( 2013 ) a species flock driven by predation ? secondary metabolites support diversification of slugs in antarctica . plos one 8 : e80277 . doi :
zapata f , wilson ng , howison m , andrade scs , jörger km , schrödl m , goetz fe , giribet g , dunn cw ( 2014 ) phylogenomic analyses of deep gastropod relationships reject orthogastropoda . proc r soc b . doi :
popular : trivia , history , america , television , tv , usa , geography , world , . . . more
this site uses cookies to improve performance . if your browser does not accept cookies , you cannot view this site .
there are many reasons why a cookie could not be set correctly . below are the most common reasons :
you have cookies disabled in your browser . you need to reset your browser to accept cookies or to ask you if you want to accept cookies .
your browser asks you whether you want to accept cookies and you declined . to accept cookies from this site , use the back button and accept the cookie .
your browser does not support cookies . try a different browser if you suspect this .
the date on your computer is in the past . if your computer ' s clock shows a date before 1 jan 1970 , the browser will automatically forget the cookie . to fix this , set the correct time and date on your computer .
you have installed an application that monitors or blocks cookies from being set . you must disable the application while logging in or check with your system administrator .
this site uses cookies to improve performance by remembering that you are logged in when you go from page to page . to provide access without cookies would require the site to create a new session for every page you visit , which slows the system down to an unacceptable level .
this site stores nothing other than an automatically generated session id in the cookie ; no other information is captured .
in general , only the information that you provide , or the choices you make while visiting a web site , can be stored in a cookie . for example , the site cannot determine your email name unless you choose to type it . allowing a website to create a cookie does not give that or any other site access to the rest of your computer , and only the site that created the cookie can read it .
upper right : a . 70mm long , north coast , new south wales , australia , march 1982 , ( c132971 ) . b . 50 - 70mm long , long reef , sydney , new south wales ( c114835 ) . c . 40mm long , noumea , new caledonia , october 1988 , ( c156601 ) photos : bill rudman . see more photos below
when white spots are present they are of two different kinds . some spots are simply pigment spots on the skin while others are small white glands producing a milky acidic secretion . usually the glandular spots are aggregated into clusters as in fig b .
photo : d . 36mm long , koumac , new caledonia , october 1993 , ( c200523 ) . e . 15mm long juvenile , noumea , new caledonia , october 1988 , ( c156675 ) f . 10mm long juvenile , noumea , new caledonia , october 1988 , ( c156595 ) . g . 10mm long juvenile , north coast , new south wales , march 1982 , ( c132943 ) . h . 9mm long juvenile , two fold bay , new south wales , march 1986 , ( c149571 ) . i . 36mm long , koumac , new caledonia , october 1993 , ( c200525 ) . photos : bill rudman .
reference : • stimpson , w . ( 1855 ) . descriptions of some of the new marine invertebrata from the japanese and chinese seas . proceedings of the academy of natural sciences of philadelphia , 7 ( 10 ) : 375 - 384 .
warning : the ncbi web site requires javascript to function . more . . .
jeffrey h . r . goddard , terrence m . gosliner , and john s . pearse
the online version of this article ( doi : 10 . 1007 / s00227 - 011 - 1633 - 7 ) contains supplementary material , which is available to authorized users .
the shift from relatively cool to warm coastal ocean temperatures in the ne pacific ocean in 1976–1977 triggered numerous biotic responses in the california current ecosystem ( reviewed by mcgowan et al .
) , including northward range expansions of southerly species . this climate shift marked the beginning of a warm phase of the pacific decadal oscillation ( pdo ) ( mantua and hare
) . near the end of a three - year , monthly study of intertidal nudibranchs conducted by jg on the northern end of monterey bay ( described in schultz et al .
a ) , was observed in november 1977 for the first time north of the monterey peninsula . by 1992 , this species , which grows to 70 mm in length , had spread 100 km north to duxbury reef , a large shale reef 12 km northwest of the entrance to san francisco bay ( figs .
a phidiana hiltoni from pillar point , california . image by douglas mason . b outline of study area at duxbury reef , marin county , california , and location of duxbury reef on west coast of north america ( inset )
northern range shift of p . hiltoni on west coast of north america ( inset ) . open circles represent negative records ; filled circles , positive records ( based on records and references in appendix ) . not shown are negative records , obtained since 1992 , from north of bodega head , or negative records from drake’s estero , near point reyes ( see appendix ) . site codes : a asilomar , an año nuevo cove , bh bodega head , bp bolinas point , br bird rock , cr chimney rock , dr duxbury reef , fr fitzgerald marine reserve , mb muir beach , pb pescadero state beach and bean hollow state beach , pp pillar point , sc scott creek , scp santa cruz point east , sp soquel point
with its large area , rich intertidal biota , and proximity to the san francisco bay area , duxbury reef has been a marine - protected area since 1971 ( california department of fish and game 2007 ) . historically , 45 species of nudibranchs have been recorded from this site , many in abundance ( gosliner and williams 1970 , 1973 ) . however , since the arrival of p . hiltoni , many nudibranchs at duxbury reef appear to have declined in abundance ( pers obs ) .
here , we document more fully the range expansion of p . hiltoni north of monterey bay and investigate its diet in the wild and propensity to attack other nudibranchs . based on the results of the diet studies , behavioral trials , and taxonomic affinity , we group nudibranchs from duxbury reef according to their demonstrated or inferred vulnerability to predation by p . hiltoni . we then utilize historical abundance data from duxbury reef and two other sites , combined with recently obtained survey data from all three sites , to compare the abundance of these groups at each site before and after the arrival of p . hiltoni . we reasoned that if p . hiltoni negatively affects other species of nudibranchs , then those impacts should be greatest where it has become most abundant in its new range .
) extends 0 . 75 km sse from duxbury point , bolinas , and is the largest shale reef on the pacific coast of north america . the point and reef form the western end of bolinas bay , a small , south - facing embayment 6 . 5 km wide at its mouth . the study area consisted of channels , pools , and overhanging ledges in an area on the outer half of the reef and extending back approximately 20 m from its southwestern edge ( fig .