Dendrodoris carbunculosa (Kelaart, 1858)
- Location
- Yaene, Hachijo Island, Tokyo, Japan
- Date
- 2017/01/12
- Length
- 70mm
- Depth
- 13.0m
- Water temperature
- 20.0℃
Description
A very large dendrodorid reaching up to 750 mm in length. Body colour highly variable, ranging through grey-brown, brown, reddish brown and pinkish purple. The dorsum bears prominent warty tubercles: in young animals each tubercle is single and rounded, but in adults large central tubercles become surrounded by a ring of smaller subsidiary tubercles, sometimes with greenish or whitish variegation, giving the species its distinctive "carbuncle" appearance. Rhinophores and gills match the body ground colour. Nocturnal: shelters under rocks and coral boulders by day.Distribution
Widely distributed across the Indian Ocean, western and central Pacific, with isolated records in the eastern Pacific (Costa Rica). Records include South Africa, Réunion, Tanzania, Seychelles, the Red Sea, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Guam, Futuna, Hawaii and Costa Rica. The type locality is Trincomalee, Ceylon (Sri Lanka).Etymology
The specific epithet carbunculosa is the Latin for "carbuncle-bearing" (from carbunculus, "small coal" or "carbuncle/gemstone"), in reference to the prominent rounded tubercles that cover the mantle "like carbuncle stones" on a ringed tubercular base, as Kelaart described.Remarks
Originally described as Doris carbunculosa Kelaart (Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 3(9): 95, 1858). Subsequently transferred to Dendrodoris Ehrenberg, 1831.References
- Doris carbunculosa, Kelaart E.F. (1858). Description of new and little-known species of Ceylon nudibranchiate molluscs and zoophytes. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 3(9): 84-139.
- コウシンウミウシ（新称）, 鈴木敬宇. (2000). ウミウシガイドブック〈2〉. TBSブリタニカ.
- デンドロドリス・カルブンクロサ, 殿塚孝昌. (2003). ウミウシガイドブック〈3〉. TBSブリタニカ.
A Kindle field guide by the site author
Kimoto N. (2026). Sea Slugs of Japan & the Indo-Pacific, 2nd Edition.
Kindle Edition
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Photos of Dendrodoris carbunculosa
Same Genus Nudibranchs
Similar Colors Nudibranchs
Academic Database
Sea slug observation data is available in international marine biodiversity databases.