Marine Life / Nudibranchs

Melibe sp. 1

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Mollusca

Class

Gastropoda

Order

Nudibranchia

Family

Tethydidae

Genus

Melibe

Species

Melibe sp. 1

Melibe sp. 1 is a translucent brown nudibranch with leaf-like cerata. It belongs to the family Tethydidae and has not yet been formally described. The numbered label follows the book, allowing this animal to be discussed without assigning an unsupported species name.

Melibe have an expandable oral hood used to capture small animal prey, including crustaceans. This feeding structure is a useful genus-level feature and differs greatly from the grazing mouthparts of many other sea slugs.

For Philippine divers, a good photograph of the head is especially valuable when comparing a Melibe with the book. Translucent bodies can be difficult to separate from a busy underwater background.

Wait quietly for the animal to present its head naturally. Use controlled lighting and include the cerata in another frame. Do not prod the animal to make it open its hood or change position.

It appears on page 199 of Nudibranchs of the Philippines.

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