Nemertesia ramosa

George Brown This is what I call Nemertesia ramosa. And I've had three glasses of Isla negra! ;-)

Erling Svensen Sorry George, not my strongest field. Good night. clock 1130 in the evening here.....

Erling Svensen I would like to dive with you again. Any plan to come to Norway?

George Brown Giggling profusely! I love you guys.

George Brown Erling I'd love to go back but only if we could go diving 2-3 times a day/night!

George Brown You certainly are! Oh, and Jennifer!

Erling Svensen George: Are you still diving 2 - 3 times a day. You are not young any more you know! I dive some times when people visit me 2 - 3 times a day. so yes, it is possible to do so ;-)

George Brown Oh Erling, now I won't get any work done today. :)

Paula Lightfoot Hi Tom, yes I think you could well have seen Doto sp and eggs on the Nemertesia ramosa. Here's a photo I took of a Doto on N. ramosa last weekend, there were egg ribbons too. We've found Doto spp on dives in Yorkshire recently too...but you have to look very closely to see them!

Tom Kerr That's a fantasic photograph.

George Brown Is this Polyplumaria frutescens? Loch Sunart, west coast of Scotland, 40 metres depth. Many thanks.

Erling Svensen It looks like Nemertesia ramosa for me (but I am a norwegian ;-)

George Brown Look, is this polfru or not! :-)

Kate Lock not sure but it does not look like N.ramosa....agree with the one that you have posted with the lovely C.smithii...

Jennifer Jones It looks like it to me George

George Brown Dawn, actually it helps quite alot. I googled Polyplumaria frutescens discovering NBN call it Schizotricha frutescens.

George Brown Thank you very much Jennifer. It appears it's changed it's name? Happening alot these days!

Bernard Picton Yes, George, it is Polyplumaria frutescens. This is a really well developed one, usually a bit scruffier than this.

George Brown Thank you Bernard. Has its name changed? I'm a disciple of Habitas! Took me ages to pluck off the fluff.

Tamsyn MAnn Doto cuspidata

Tamsyn MAnn Found in Plymouth today... Terry found another one!

João Pedro Silva Where was this taken, Tamsyn?

Tamsyn MAnn Plymouth, Devon, England!

João Pedro Silva It looks like Doto... but with that colour should be Doto cuspidata... but it feeds exclusively on Nemertesia ramosa.

Terry Griffiths Doto cuspidata as confirmed by Bernard .

Tom Kerr

Tom Kerr Does anyone know the species? Photographed in Lamlash Bay during the Seasearch Arran trip last weekend.

Paula Lightfoot Looks like Rostanga rubra (but that eats sponges so not sure what it would be doing on bryozoany-kelp!). There's a North East Atlantic Nudibranch Facebook group you could also post it for more help.

Tom Kerr Thanks Paula. I was looking through my photos of Nemertesia ramosa taken at Arran and I also have pictures of egg ribbons and small nudibranches probably Doto sp?

David Kipling Can anyone give suggestions as to types of habitat/food on which to look for Caloria elegans? It's been recorded in N Wales, and we're now going to be on the look-out for it in S Wales (a little bit of friendly north-south rivalry!). Any hints as to where to look for it (no comments like "In the Mediterranean" please!) would be very helpful. MarLIN/Habitas makes the following comment: "Found amongst the hydroids Nemertesia ramosa, Plumularia setacea and Halecium halecinum growing on rocks and other hard inorganic substrata." Thanks!

João Pedro Silva If you care to identify all the hydroids in these photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpsilva1971/tags/caloriaelegans/ I'd add ti the MarLIN/Habitas comment that I usually find them in poorly lit places like small holes, crevices or even small caves.

Richard Yorke I would very much like you to identify the one with it in http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpsilva1971/6029926038/ as this looks very like http://richardy.co.uk/Scillies/content/120504_110652_E-520_large.html which I took earlier this year in the Scillies and has experts arguing over its identity.

David Kipling Thanks João Pedro!

João Pedro Silva Richard Yorke, I don't think C. elegans is feeding on that Alcyonium but on smaller hydroids growing in between. There's another shot of that individual: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpsilva1971/6029368489/

Richard Yorke It was the Alcyonium I was interested in, in fact over hear there is still discussion as to whether my picture is a) Stolonifera or b) Alcyonacea, though I side with you. Can you take the identification any further for us please? I am the one to identify the latest Caloria elegans in North Wales so I am fine with that.

João Pedro Silva I think those may be Alcyonium coralloides but I'm really far from being an expert on Cnidaria.

Richard Yorke Thanks, that is not the first time that has been mentioned. Not something we are used to seeing up here!

João Pedro Silva It's very common here... actually, it's probably the most common Alcyonium although not always very interesting as a photographic subject.

João Pedro Silva As for the "in the Mediterranean" comments... why venture into the Mediterranean when you can get them in Portugal? :) There are still openings for next month's nudibranch safari in the Algarve: https://www.facebook.com/events/322010314535510/

David Kipling Lalalalalala not listening not listening <<fingers in ears>>

Liz Morris João Pedro Silva, that looks awesome! Wish I was free! Yes, Richard Yorke found another Caloria elegans in North Wales last weekend - so we are up one record in 2007, one in 2011 and one in 2012. So David Kipling has challenged the south welsh Seasearchers to find it down there too. We'll let you know how we get on no doubt. Maybe it is just under-recorded. Facebook is great for raising awareness of species. :)

João Pedro Silva I'm often asked if the apparent expansion of certain species is due to global warming. It may or may not be due to that or to human intervention but I suspect it may be due to more awareness and also to the increasing availability (and quality) of underwater photographic equipment.

João Pedro Silva Oh, make sure you get some good shots of the rhinophores. Apparently the ones with lighter cerata have longer and smoother rhinophores (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpsilva1971/6238739494/) and the ones with darker cerata have shorter and rougher rhinophores (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpsilva1971/6181899320/).

Richard Yorke Those two pictures of mine were of separate animals, so it is 2 more for the records for North Wales!