Marine Life / Nudibranchs

Tenellia sp. 9

kingdom

Animalia

phylum

Mollusca

class

Gastropoda

order

Nudibranchia

family

Fionidae

genus

Tenellia

species

Tenellia sp. 9

Tenellia sp. 9 is a small aeolid nudibranch in the family Fionidae. It has not yet been formally described. The animal shown here has swollen, bubble-like white cerata covering its back, a feature worth recording alongside the head and body outline.

Hydroid feeding is known within Tenellia, but the exact prey of this unnamed form is not established here. Its inflated cerata are living parts of the body and should not be confused with eggs or pieces of its surroundings.

For divers in the Philippines, the numbered book entry gives this animal a useful reference label while it lacks a formal species name. Keep that label with your photographs rather than assigning the name of a similar species.

Use a macro lens and soft lighting to retain detail in the white cerata. Wait for the head to become visible without touching the animal or disturbing its resting surface.

It appears on page 239 of Nudibranchs of the Philippines.

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