Halgerda albocristata Gosliner & Fahey, 1998
- Location
- Ishikiri（Awa), Okinawa Island (Motobu and Northern area), Okinawa, Japan
- Date
- 2013/04/11
- Length
- ??mm
- Depth
- ??m
- Water temperature
- ??℃
Description
Body translucent white with yellow ground color along the central dorsum. Low ridges form a reticulate pattern over the dorsum, each topped with thick opaque white lines, and shorter white lines radiate from the ridge intersections to create a complex pattern. The mantle margin is translucent white with numerous short black lines arranged perpendicular to the edge at regular intervals. Rhinophores and gills are translucent white with a black band at mid-level. The branchial plume consists of four to six pinnate leaves, with the posterior pair more strongly branched than the anterior pair. Living animals reach 12–15 mm in the original description.Distribution
The type locality is Bonito Island, Batangas Province, Luzon Island, Philippines. Recorded broadly across the tropical western Pacific, including Okinawa (Japan), the Philippines, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Heron Island (Australia).Etymology
The specific epithet albocristata combines the Latin albus (white) and crista (ridge or crest), referring to the white-topped dorsal ridges.Remarks
The Japanese name "Shirosuji-hiodoshi-umiushi" likewise refers to the white lines (shirosuji = white stripes) running along the dorsum. Found crawling in the open on reefs, on rocky substrates, and under coral rubble at depths of 3–20 m, where it feeds on unidentified sponges. The molecular phylogeny of a 2023 study places Halgerda albocristata in a well-supported clade with Halgerda brunneomaculata, Halgerda biqiea, and Halgerda toliara.References
- Halgerda albocristata Gosliner and Fahey, sp. nov., Gosliner T.M. & Fahey S.J. (1998). Description of a new species of Halgerda from the Indo-Pacific with a redescription of Halgerda elegans Bergh, 1905. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 50(15): 347-359.
- Halgerda albocristata Gosliner & Fahey, 1998, Donohoo S.A., Villalobos S.G., Hallas J.M. & Gosliner T.M. (2023). Hyperdiversity of the genus Halgerda Bergh, 1880 (Nudibranchia: Discodorididae) with descriptions of fourteen new species. Marine Biodiversity. 53(3): 42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-022-01334-9
A Kindle field guide by the site author
Kimoto N. (2026). Sea Slugs of Japan & the Indo-Pacific, 2nd Edition.
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Tag:
Same Genus Nudibranchs
Similar Colors Nudibranchs
Academic Database
Sea slug observation data is available in international marine biodiversity databases.