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Eubranchus mandapamensis (Rao, 1968)
Maximum Size: about 10 mm.
Identification:
This
ornate aeolid has a transparent body sprinkled with opalescent
white flecks. The cerata are strongly inflated with low tubercles and
are ringed subapically with dark yellow,
light blue, purple and light yellow bands. The rhinophores are
covered with long papillae.
Natural History:
Eubranchus mandapamensis
is a rare species that has been found in exposed rocky locations. The
few known animals were at 6-15 m (20-50 ft). It lays a
cream-colored egg mass.
Distribution:
Big Island, Maui and Pearl & Hermes Reef: widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific; also in the eastern Pacific.
Taxonomic notes:
It
was
first recorded in Hawaii from off Makena, Maui by PF on August
20,
1990. It was named for the town of Mandapaman in India. The Hawaiian
animals match the photo of the species in Gosliner, et. al. (2018). That
source considers Eubranchus rubropunctatus Edmunds, 1969 to be a synonym. However, some other sources consider animals with papillate rhinophores to be E. rubropunctatus and use the name E. mandapemensis for animals with annulate rhinophores. If the latter ultimately proves correct, the Hawaiian animals would be E. rubropunctatus.
Photo: Ryan Boerema: South Kona, Big Island; Oct. 11, 2022.
Observations and comments:
Note
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