Sagaminopteron psychedelicum Carlson & Hoff, 1974
- Location
- Eruzi Arch, Miyakojima, Okinawa, Japan
- Date
- 2025/11/26
- Length
- 5mm
- Depth
- 20.0m
- Water temperature
- 25.0℃
Description
A small gastropterid reaching up to 20 mm in length. The body ground color is pale green, overlaid with pink circular spots outlined in black; the size and shape of the rings vary considerably between individuals, and the pink areas may take on orange, gold, or yellowish tints. The head shield bears a siphon-like crest with reddish coloration at its apex. The parapodial margins are bordered by a broad pink band, separated from the body ground color by a thin black line. The gill is exposed externally, and a short conical flagellum is often present on the right side of the visceral hump. The radula has large hook-shaped inner lateral teeth, with progressively smaller outer laterals. Its bold and vivid color pattern, reminiscent of psychedelic art, gave rise to the species name.Distribution
The type locality is Guam. The species is widely distributed across the Indian Ocean and tropical western to central Pacific, with records from the Red Sea, Reunion Island, Madagascar, Tanzania, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Guam and the Mariana Islands, Fiji, and the Hawaiian Islands. It occurs on coral reefs, under rubble, and on reef flats.Etymology
The specific epithet psychedelicum derives from the English word "psychedelic," referring to the vivid, hallucinatory-looking color pattern of the animal, which is reminiscent of psychedelic art.Remarks
The genus Sagaminopteron was established by Tokioka & Baba 1964; the genus name refers to Sagami Bay, the type locality of the type species. A 1989 revision redescribed this species from material collected in Papua New Guinea, providing the first records of S. psychedelicum outside its original type locality (Guam). The species is reported to be a less active swimmer than its congener Sagaminopteron ornatum.References
- Sagaminopteron psychedelicum n.sp., Carlson C.H. & Hoff P.J. (1974). The Gastropteridae of Guam, with descriptions of four new species (Opisthobranchia: Cephalaspidea). Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory. 21(5/6): 345-363.
- Sagaminopteron psychedelicum Carlson & Hoff, 1974, Gosliner T.M. (1989). Revision of the Gastropteridae (Opisthobranchia: Cephalaspidea) with descriptions of a new genus and six new species. The Veliger 32(4): 333-381.
- トウモンウミコチョウ（新称）, 小野篤司. (2000). ウミウシガイドブック. 第2版. 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.
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Photos of Sagaminopteron psychedelicum
Tag:
Same Genus Nudibranchs
Academic Database
Sea slug observation data is available in international marine biodiversity databases.