Purple Nudibranch

[jviehe]

I am trying to identify a purple critter I saw saturday at the Panama CIty Jetties. Unfortunately I didnt have my camera handy.

-about the size of your hand
-saw it crawling over the rocks in panama city florida, saltwater, surge zone, about 2ft deep, daytime round 3pm
-shape was essentially a full oval, about 2 inches hi, tiny stalks all over, 2 eye stalks in front, deep purple all over, maybe a lighter shade purple on top than around the bottom

heres a kinda crude drawing

 

[Vie]

-about the size of your hand
-saw it crawling over the rocks in panama city florida, saltwater, surge zone, about 2ft deep, daytime round 3pm
-shape was essentially a full oval, about 2 inches hi, tiny stalks all over, 2 eye stalks in front, deep purple all over, maybe a lighter shade purple on top than around the bottom

Sounds like some kind of sea hare (from the description Bursatella leachii, perhaps) ?

 

[designbysue]

Some kind of flatworm?

 

[fisheyeview]

From the description it sounds like a Discodoris. I'm not sure which species though.

I sent a PM to a friend who is a sea slug researcher. She is a co-author on a Caribbean Sea Slug book.

 

[jviehe]

Thanks, I realize its hard without a pic. And Im doing this from memory. It kinda had this shape, but not the color or fronds in the back that I remember. Might be narrowing it down to Discodoris. Im trying to find a pic of one.

http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/bigs/libr0429.jpg

 

[jviehe]

Some kind of flatworm?

I dont think so. It wasnt small or flat enough to be a flatworm, according to what Ive read about them. Some sort of slug it seems.

 

[fisheyeview]

Try the Sea Slug Forum.

The Sea Slug Forum - Home Page

 

[Kupu]

The size of my hand is about 200 mm (8 inches) long. And 50 mm height (2 inches)? Not many slugs are that large, it seems like that alone should narrow down the possible matches considerably? Could it have been a bit smaller, say around 150 mm? Your comment regarding the lack of visible gills (fronds) on the back could also be a clue, although they may have been retracted for protection when you saw the slug.

After a couple hours trying to find a match, I'm still not sure enough to make a guess which species you found. But very curious..Good luck!

 

[jviehe]

Yeah, teach me to have a camera handy. Ive been looking through books and havent come accross it yet. Maybe its somethign unique. Im pretty sure its some kind of slug now. Possibly a side gill slug? Order Notaspidea.

Maybe this, but purple - http://www.ianskipworth.com/photo/d70uw/d70953/DSC_0019.jpg

MAde me get the Reef ID book finally.

 

[AnneDiver]

Hi, I'm sorry that I am a little "message challenged" on Scubaboard, and just found your message.
I will send you examples of slugs so that we can narrow it down. Fisheye is on the right track.
go to:
Selected Opisthobranch Mollusks From Florida Waters
and look at: Pleurobranchus areolatus ,
and the ones starting with ,
and then look at Discodoris evelinae, this will help us narrow it down.
Anne