Halgerda brunneomaculata Carlson & Hoff, 1993
- Location
- Cape Maeda, Okinawa Island (Onna and Yomitan area), Okinawa, Japan
- Date
- 2015/06/23
- Length
- 7mm
- Depth
- 8.0m
- Water temperature
- 27.0℃
Description
Reaches 25 mm in length. Body translucent white to pale yellow with a dorsal network of narrow yellow ridges forming a reticulate pattern. Large rounded dark brown spots are scattered within the meshes of the network. The outer mantle edge is bordered by a thin, sometimes indistinct white line that is absent in some individuals. Rhinophores and gill leaves are both translucent white like the body, each marked with a dark brown longitudinal stripe along the inner side of the rachis.Distribution
The type locality is Guam, Mariana Islands. Widely distributed across the western Pacific, with records from Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Fiji, Okinawa, New Caledonia, the Great Barrier Reef, and French Polynesia.Etymology
The specific epithet brunneomaculata is a Latin compound of brunneus ("brown") and maculatus ("spotted").Remarks
Found on shallow coral reefs over rubble and rocky substrate. The molecular phylogeny of a 2023 study places this species in a clade with Halgerda biqiea from the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean species Halgerda albocristata and Halgerda toliara. It is distinguished from the similar Halgerda biqiea by its fewer but larger brown spots, more vibrant yellow ridging, the absence of spotting on the underside of the mantle, and a foot that extends past the mantle bearing a few large brown spots.References
- Halgerda brunneomaculata sp. n., Carlson C.H. & Hoff P.J. (1993). Three new Halgerda species (Doridoidea: Nudibranchia: Opisthobranchia) from Guam. The Veliger. 36(1): 16-26.
- Halgerda brunneomaculata Carlson & Hoff, 1993, 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.
Kindle Edition
View on Amazon PR (Amazon Associates)Seasonality
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Photos of Halgerda brunneomaculata
Tag:
Same Genus Nudibranchs
Similar Colors Nudibranchs
Academic Database
Sea slug observation data is available in international marine biodiversity databases.