Dendrodoris elongata
Baba, 1936
» If you find this species has been misidentified, please let us know
Below is comment from Dr. Bill Rudman, go to Sea Slug Forum to read more information
Dear Harry,
I am in the process of cleaning out the backlog of messages so to save time I have not prepared the images of the two other species you had on this message. They were both flatworms. This animal though is very interesting as I am sure it is a species of Dendrodoris and it looks as though it is a species like D. elongata which, as its name suggests, can greatly elongate as it stretches out in a leech-like form of locomotion. When I first saw your photo I thought it had a series of pale star-shaped patches on the mantle but on closer examination they appear to be branching papillae. Another species with leech-like locomotion is the sea hare Dolabrifera dolabrifera, which also has branching papillae. I guess its going too far to suggest these two species are mimicking each other but it is quite a coincidence.
At this stage I am not sure if your animal is just a form of D. elongata or a separate species. If it is a separate species I am not sure if it has a name. I certainly can't recall a species with branched papillae like this
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
| Location: | Saipan, Nthn. Mariana Islands |
| Photographer: | Harry Blalock |
| Camera: | Canon Digital IXUS 800 IS › View EXIF properties |
| Taken on: | March 11, 2007 |
| Viewed: | 350 times |
| Posted: | 10 months ago |
| Updated: | 7 months ago |
« Hexabranchus sanguineus | Other nudibranch photos (page 493) | Hexabranchus sanguineus »
Other photos of Dendrodoris elongata
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Opisthobranchia |
| Order: | Nudibranchia |
| Suborder: | Doridina |
| Family: | Dendrodorididae |
| Species: | Dendrodoris elongata |
