Lembeh nudi

Couldn't find an ID of this species in the usual web resources:

Poppe Images did have a photo of the species, but unusually they didn't know what it is, either.

I photographed it (I think at night) in Lembeh Strait, Northern Indonesia, but the Poppe folks found it in the Philippines, also.

The bit that's sticking up behind the gills appears to be the back part of the skirt, all of my photos and the Poppe photos show it in this position.

Richard.

I photographed it (I think at night) in Lembeh Strait, Northern Indonesia, but the Poppe folks found it in the Philippines, also.

 

The bit that's sticking up behind the gills appears to be the back part of the skirt, all of my photos and the Poppe photos show it in this position.

 

Richard.

Cheers,

Mark.

Ceratosoma trilobatum. It's very common in the IP. The projection is called the dorsal horn. Many nudis have defensive chemicals which are distasteful or even poisonous to their predators. In Ceratosoma species the chemicals are concentrated in the horn which is usually the first area targeted by predators.

http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=ceratril

Leslie,

Thanks very much!

Richard.