Indonesian Nudibranch #1

[Jay Gould]

I would like to share a few of the most colorful creatures in the sea: Nudibranchs - shell-less snails of the most intricate patterns and colors. All are carnivores, preying upon a variety of other invertebrates such as sponges, corals, sea anemones and tunicates. Nudibranchs are hermaphroditic, each individual having functional male and female organs - and mating usually involves playing both roles simultaneously.Locating nudibranchs, some only 1" long and other several inches long is one of the highlights of diving in waters known to be inhabited by these lovely creatures.

Camera: G9
Capture date/time: 6 Sept 08; 8:54 am
Light condition: Deep and diffused
Lens: 7.4-44.4
Focal length: 7.4
Extender: none
Tube: none
Flash/Comp: yes; none
ISO: 400
Exp Prog: Av
Speed: 1/60 sec
Aperture: f/8
Exp Comp: 0
Metering: Centered-Weighted
WB: Auto
AF Drive: One Shot
Tripod: no

All C&Cs gratefully appreciated!

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

You've done your research well Jay on the Nudibranchia order. I have a series of articles I can e-mail you I wrote years ago for Sportdiving mag, send me an e-mail if you want a pdf scan of them.

This is definitely a far better image than your Phyllodesmium. clear, defined subject though hard to isolate from the BG with that type of camer (I guess). the pose is typical of a nudibranch sniffing the currents in that pose with its rhinophores (feelers) as they sense the scents that are in the water. So they stretch out like this to get a taste of what's around them on the reef. this is most certainly a Chromodoris sp. perhaps a C. kuniei, but I am not at home now and have no good reference material and am not familiar with tropical species too much.

well done mate. :)

[Jay Gould]

Withdrawn!

[Jay Gould]

Nope! The head is the head and the tail is the tail and it is moving to the left!! Thanks for looking and commenting.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Peter

Cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish, squid etc) have chromatophores, which allow them to change colors in a millisecond. It is incredible as you can witness colors flashing though their bodies. And they CAN change the texture of the skin, making it stick out, wrinkle etc. AWESOME stuff.

Seaslugs are far more primitive thus cannot do any of that. The only 'cool' thing some species (like the Spanish dancer - Hexabranchus sanguineous) do is swim, by undulating their bodies.

Jay,
Would you explain please? I really have difficulty comprehending what you had said then. Honestly. Thanks mate. (sorry, wog boy speaking here.) :D

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Jay,
I think I get it now. :BLUSH: silly wog boy me. :o

[Jay Gould]

Akos, I have no idea what you were asking me in #6, and I do not know what you "got" in #7. Perhaps you are referring to the fact that they are they procreate themselves; I wasn't.

I was referring to Peter's comment pertaining to tromp-l'oeil.

BTW, I thought WOGs were Greeks and not Hungarians! Now that Iam an Australian citizen I have to use the correct terms even if I think all terms like WOG are inappropriate because they are more often than not used in a negative manner.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Akos, I have no idea what you were asking me in #6, and I do not know what you "got" in #7. Perhaps you are referring to the fact that they are they procreate themselves; I wasn't.

I was referring to Peter's comment pertaining to tromp-l'oeil.


what confused me is you using the term pathology, which I didn't think would refer to the anatomical make-up or evolutionary characteristics. So I think you said that the head is distinct from its ***. :D



BTW, I thought WOGs were Greeks and not Hungarians! Now that Iam an Australian citizen I have to use the correct terms even if I think all terms like WOG are inappropriate because they are more often than not used in a negative manner.

I used it with affection in jest, not to how I WAS often referred to by the natives here. :) Depends on which native you talk to is what they refer to. My mates in school often called me that, but loved me as one of their own.

[Jay Gould]

is a trick of the eye. Used by artists in paintings. Referring to your artistic image ;)

While I have understand it's use in paintings, hasn't it also been used to refer to a critter anatomically that is designed to cause another critter to mistake where the head and tail are on the critter?

[Fabs Forns]

Very colorful and amazing creature, the colors underwater are really unbelievable.

[John Ippolito]

Amazing asexual creatures these nudis. I always find them fascinating to find and observe-thanks for bringing me back under with this colorful image!

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Juveniles of Butterflyfishes (fam. Chaetodontidae) are particularly prone to having "fake" eyes near the rear of the dorsal fins, while the real eyes are cleverly disguised into patterns on the head. I have a few images, which I'll eventually digitize and share.