Virgularia mirabilis

Erling Svensen I would also like to share with you pictures of Armina loveni from Sognefjord in Norway. Time: July. Dept: 20 meter. Very silty bottom with many Virgularia mirabilis. There were hundreds of the nudi. I did the dive to find "different" things. As a diver one must dive "stupid" dives some times to just explore new, nice things.

Christian Skauge Ooh very nice! Not many records of these from Norway, and certainly not any pictures that match this one!

Cynthia D. Trowbridge amazing photo...thanks for sharing!

Rudolf Svensen Here is an other bugger from todays dive, Armina loveni. Never seen one before. It was quite eager to dig down in to the mud too. Does anybody knows what they eat. Maybe sea pens?

David Kipling Bernard Picton's website suggests the sea pen Virgularia mirabilis. Wow ;)

Torjus Haukvik Sea pens are correct, specifically Virgularia mirabilis.

Jussi Evertsen Both Pennatula and Virgularia - Armina is a burrowing species so you were lucky to find one up and about

Rudolf Svensen Yes there was a lot of Virgularia mirabilis around and some of them looked a bit worn out :-) . Jussi Evertsen we found several. Is Cuthona pustulata a burrowing species too?

George Brown I watched one crawl towards a juvenile Pennatula but it disappeared into the mud just before it made contact. Maybe heading for the seapens root? Google "Attack of the Sea Slugs" for an amazing video that reveals why we don't see this nudibranch often. If Cuthona pustulata also borrows I wonder how many other species employ this tactic?

Jussi Evertsen I have only found Cuthona pustulata on hydroids so far, so I would not place a bet on it

João Pedro Silva I've only seen Armina maculata eating (it feeds on Veretillum cynomorium). In some places it's often found intertidally and there it appears to "dig in" for the "root". But I once saw one on top of the Veretillum cynomorium (~10m deep) and the sea pen had distinct bite marks: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpsilva1971/6997998059/ The bite marks appear to fit the profile of the radula (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Armina_maculata_Rafinesque,_1814_-_radula_.jpg).

Tony Gilbert How interesting. Virgularia mirabilis occurs a lot in Scottish sea lochs, although there is one colony I've seen in Holyhead marina, and another next to the Lochgarry. Although I've not seen the nudi: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyjgilbert-images/4256758825/in/set-72157621920489748/ Veretillum cynomorium is present also in Canary islands, Where in Lanzarote it is only (mainly) seen nocturnally, and is recorded as rare-ish here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyjgilbert-images/5559034843/in/set-72157626351917680 Be sure to be looking for this one next time!