Facelina bostoniensis

Angela Gall Is this Facelina bostoniensis? It was photographed by Richard Morton in the Helford Estuary on the maerl bed this week.

Jan Langmaack Facelina bostoniensis, Baltic Sea, Canon 5D Mk2, 100mm Subsee+10, 2 Sea & Sea 250 Pro, Subal Housing, ISO 100, 1/200, f32

Yati Lai beautiful

Morten Bjørn Larsen Facelina bostoniensis under anemone. Munkholmbroen - Denmark.

Erling Svensen Facelina bostoniensis - yesterday in Norway. One strange one - as you can see.

Erling Svensen THIS must be two different colourvariations of the Facelina bostoniensis.

Jan Langmaack Facelina bostoniensis Olympus C7070 with Inon D2000

Jan Langmaack Thanks :-)

Ilse Merz LIKE!

Sigonella Scuba-Club Toni Palermo

Jan Langmaack Thank you

Giorgio Cavallaro (Y)

Jan Langmaack Thanks :)

Jan Langmaack Facelina bostoniensis, Baltic Sea, Canon 5D Mk2, 100mm Subsee+10, 2 Sea & Sea 250 Pro, Subal Housing, ISO 100, 1/200, f32

Merel Hogeweg A hungry Facelina bostoniensis (brede ringsprietslak in Dutch). Olympus E-PL1, 45mm Panasonic Leica, 2 x INON D2000 f20, s1/160

Carolyn Thomson Very nice capture

Jack de Vries nice shot merel

Jan Roar Gjersvold Facelina bostoniensis

Stuart Pearce Beautiful shot :)

Jan Roar Gjersvold Thanks a lot Stuart Pearce :)

Jørn Ari Need help with ID please. No lamelllae at rhinofores. Size: 20mm - Depth: 25m - watertemp: 2,8

Bernard Picton Surely it is that Facelina again? http://www.facebook.com/groups/206426176075326/permalink/492644284120179/?comment_id=492766664107941&offset=0&total_comments=2

Bernard Picton http://www.facebook.com/groups/NE.Atlantic.nudibranchs/permalink/327037804074173/?comment_id=327063617404925&offset=0&total_comments=27

Bernard Picton I'm not certain that Nudibase members can see posts on NE Atlantic Nudibranchs group?

Christian Skauge I'm thinking Facelina bostoniensis too :-)

João Pedro Silva Only members of NE Atlantic Nudibranchs can see posts there.

Bernard Picton We discussed it on NE Atlantic nudibranchs and agreed to call it Facelina ari as it is different to other described Facelina species from the region in the shape and size of its cerata and lack of lamellae on the rhinophores.

Jørn Ari Need help with ID please. No lamelllae at rhinofores. Size: 20mm - Depth: 25m - watertemp: 2,8

Gary Cobb I think this could be Facelina bostoniensis (Couthouy, 1838) a young one.

Erling Svensen This must be a Facelina bostoniensis as well? Strange shape of this one.

Rudolf Svensen Looks a bit like Cuthona pustulata to me.

Erling Svensen It so, it would be nice. A new nudi in my collection.....

Erling Svensen Why did I only take two pictures :-((

Rudolf Svensen I can show you where you can get heaps of images like this ;-)

Erling Svensen Yes, please.....

Kiki Vleeschouwers But one can find beauties in the Netherlands too: Oosterschelde: Facelina bostoniensis , and , when you have sharp eyes: two very small Cuthona gymnota...

Kiki Vleeschouwers A Facelina bostoniensis and in the right upper corner a couple of Cuthona gymnota. The Oosterschelde, the Netherlands

João Pedro Silva I think this is Facelina auriculata due to the white dots on the cerata.

Erwin Koehler read this: http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/22494

Kim Foss-Pedersen Flabellina nobilis or Flabellina pellucida? Depth:33m Length:50mm in Norway

Jim Anderson Facelina bostoniensis I think

Kim Foss-Pedersen Thanks :D

Paula Lightfoot Hi does anyone know what might have laid these eggs, there were loads of them on a wall at the Farnes yesterday between 9m-12m. The most common nudibranch there was Limacia clavigera but according to other websites their eggs don't look like this. I wondered about Tritonia homergi?

João Pedro Silva These seem too regular and thin for T. hombergii. Tony Gilbert has a photo of it laying eggs.

David Fenwick Snr Have found similar with Favorinus branchialis

Peter H van Bragt For sure not T. Hombergii or Limacia clavigera. There are a few options... Possibly Flabellina gracilis but other aeolids are also an option. Spawn laid on a flat surface looks very often like this, but when laid in hydroids they are very irrugular shaped.

Jim Anderson This looks like Flabellina browni spawn to me.

Bernard Picton or possibly Facelina bostoniensis...

Jørn Ari © PE Rasmussen

Lucas CerCur This is the "neverending story".

Lucas CerCur This is a Facelina, but.... a varity of something or and undescribed species?

Bernard Picton This is the same species that you found recently I think. In my opinion it does not match any named species from our area. Lucas is just saying the same thing!!

Lucas CerCur are there more records of individuals similar?

Lucas CerCur What Facelina spp are recoreded in the same area?

Lucas CerCur Anatomical an molecular study are needed for comparison with known species.

Lucas CerCur Bernard, for this reason, my idea for a proposal of sibbling species, but extended for other phyla, not only for opisthobranchs.

Bernard Picton It has some characters of Facelina bostoniensis, red oesophagus, shape of the white marks on the cerata. But the rhinophores look smooth and the pigment on the oral tentacles is more like Facelina dubia.

Lucas CerCur Thus, more research groups, more countries and more atraction for burocrats in Brussels would surround the proposal.

Bernard Picton Remember too that we use the name Facelina bostoniensis for Facelina curta and Facelina drummondi...

Lucas CerCur Yes... And one more issue: what is Facelina?

Lucas CerCur Facelinids are not monophyletic, nor Facelina genus.

Jørn Ari I would call it Facelina bostoniensis, but then again. The rhinophores are smooth. I am confused.

Jørn Ari Lucas CerCur . Only Facelina bostoniensis is registered in this area of the country

Jørn Ari More of the same kind here: http://www.nudibranchia.dk/foto-log.html

Lucas CerCur It seems different of your preview facelinid,but these animals are crazy. I put my hand on fire for an opisthobranch NEVER.

Lucas CerCur You can let you animal as Facelina cf bostoniensis

Jørn Ari cf ?

Cynthia D. Trowbridge basically "looks like"

Lucas CerCur Sorry, I though you knew the meaning

Klas Malmberg Aquatilis Den typiska F.bostoniensis utan lameller på rhinoforerna är en nudis som vi måste reda ut ordentligt! Heja Jörn - det går ju jättebra med ditt nudiesamlande!

Jørn Ari Hej Klas Malmberg Aquatilis . Ja, det gå fremad. Nu kan alle der dykker og fotograferer i Danmark byde ind med observationer.

Klas Malmberg Aquatilis Det känns som om jag vill komma och dyka i danmark när jag ser alla bilderna! Har tyvärr bara lite svårt att hinna just nu med tanke på resa till Filippinerna, Bahamas mm, men vill gärna hjälpa till med observationer.

Jørn Ari Du er altid velkommen

Jørn Ari Cynthia D. Trowbridge . CF i latin and short for?

Tony Gilbert To me this looks like a Coryphella browni, the cerata tips have white rings just below them (and not covering the whole tip), and no blue tinges, so didn't think it was F. bostoniensis. Animal was 1.5cm long if that. As you can see it appears to munching away quite happily at this hydroid. I think this one is Aglaophenia pluma, which I think Doto koenneckeri is specific to, and was found in the strong tidal streams of the Menai Straits. This food source for C. browni isn't its primary, so I thought it was interesting to see the image.

Torjus Haukvik To me, the rhinophores doesn't look like they're belonging ta a Flabellina. I also have the understanding that Facelina auriculata is supposed to have the blue tinges, not F. bostoniensis. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.. I would say Facelina bostoniensis..

Tony Gilbert Thanks Torjus. As I understand it, both F. bostoniensis and F. auriculata have blue tinges/irridescence, but F. bostoniensis has them to a lesser degree. I've images of both Facelinas and we see mostly F. auriculata in Menai Straits but also C. brownii, both are usually on Tubularias. The F. bostoniensis I've mostly seen are quite large anyway, so that doesn't help. I wondered whether F. bostiensis has white below the cerata tips, or whole of the cerata tip? I.e. Are the white just below the cerata tips diagnostic of a C. browni? Also F. bostoniensis is mostly found on Tubularia, so whether the nudi is C. or F. they are not usually on the hydroid I photographed with the nudi.

Torjus Haukvik You had me pull out some litterature now. My key uses the lamellaes as a character to separate between Facelina and Flabellina, and the blue irridescence to distinguish Facelina bostoniensis from F. auriculata. Although the description of F. bostoniensis states that it can display a blue irridescence in rar occations, the description of F. auriculata states that this allway has blue irridescence. But, my book is quite old, so I'm not going to say anything for certain. About the coloration on the cerata tips in the Flabellina genus, I'm not your guy..! ;)

Tony Gilbert You've solved the nudi ID anyway, thanks! I also had another look at both, and checked a second picture I took. This first picture does show some red around the mouth area, and very long oral tentacles. The second picture, which I didn't post, is a head shot and clearly shows white pigment on the head between the rhinophores. So, I think you were right that it is F. bostoniensis, which is great, cos its my first one in the Straits (I think). So, the cerata tip colouration below the tips isn't diagnostic of C. browni. And, this nudi (F. bostoniensis) is not eating Tubularia or Clava.

Brendan Oonk F.bostoniensis indeed. Although it prefers Tubularia as it's food. It is know to eat all kinds of hydroids and even other nudibranchs

Tony Gilbert Thanks all.

George Brown Is this small nudibranch Facelina auriculata? About 20mm long. Isle of Muck, Scotland. Depth 6 metres.

João Pedro Silva Yes, it's F. auriculata.

João Pedro Silva Not sure about the one on the lower right corner, though. Eubranchus perhaps?

João Pedro Silva Hang on, there are at least 4 of those smaller ones on the photo.

George Brown Might be João. What about Tergipes tergipes?

João Pedro Silva More likely to be T. tergipes. You probably can see on higher resolution.

George Brown And many thanks for the Facelina ID confirmation. Wrt Tergipes, if I zoom in I can recognise the zigzag pattern of the cerata. And as you've spotted, they come in gangs in this part of the world feeding on Obelia.

João Pedro Silva You're welcome, George. F. auriculata is actually very common here in Portugal.

O Gajo Dos Olivais Yeap, always look for the reddish spot behind the rinophores. Its the oesofagus. Its visible in the species. Anelated rinophores, first group of cerata separated from the others, white tips on the oral tentacles and rinophores... I'd say this is F. auriculata v. curta... what do you think?

George Brown Wow, very well put Fernando! Many thanks.

João Pedro Silva I'd say simply F. auriculata. Isn't F. auriculata var curta a junior synonim of F. bostoniensis? I know you've been reading a lot MarLIN, but there's this "additional information": http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesinformation.php?speciesID=4645

O Gajo Dos Olivais Yeap. And I'm not even shore it is curta. The camera angle and the way the cerata are don't give a clear view of the "tail" . I was just wanting to know because on a picture I have, that extension of the mantle is almost the size of the cerata covered area. :)

João Pedro Silva Btw, Fernando, I'd say the blue iridiscence on the cerata is a key characteristic but those you've referred are common to many others. Check Bernard Picton and Christine Morrow's descriptions especially where they refer the "Key identification features": http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=W15270

O Gajo Dos Olivais I got messed up now JPSilva. It reads "... lacks a blue irridescent sheen distinguishing it from "Facelina auriculata".. so... Is it or is it not synonim?

João Pedro Silva It's very clear: Facelina bostoniensis "lacks a blue irridescent sheen distinguishing it from Facelina auriculata", meaning Facelina auriculata has the blue iridescence on the cerata. The junior synonim (i.e., invalid) for Facelina bostoniensis is "Facelina auriculata var curta". Same with F. curta, F. drummondi and F. gigas. I hope this helps.

O Gajo Dos Olivais Oh. Ok. Thanks. Not yet very familiar witb what "junior synonim" and other terms mean :)

João Pedro Silva Ok, I'll explain in a private message so we're not flooding the group with this.

Keith Hiscock Following-on Erling's theme of "what is eating the Corymorpha?", I am struggling with this one - I have labelled it Coryphella ?browni. Where I dive, I am lucky to see 20 Corymorpha (this year) in a part of one dive. Any authoritative identifications?

Christian Skauge I would guess Facelina bostoniensis on the big one :)

Tony Gilbert I'd be still thinking C. browni, as I don't see any blue tinges around the head or cerata, and the food source for browni is specific to Tubularia. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyjgilbert-images/3781037318/in/set-72157624864203330

Jim Anderson Looks very like Facelina bostoniensis to me - are the white patches behind the head not significant. I've not seen that on F. browni. Tony - I think yours is F. bostoniensis too - see Bernard Picton's description here - http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=W15260

Christian Skauge I think Tony's are F. bostoniensis too! In Norwegian the are called "red headed flabellina".

Tony Gilbert Thanks guys, a mis-id in 2008 -> I hadn't revisited until now. Yes, I agree with you, this is definitely much larger and bulkier than C. browni, no blue iridescence that I can see. The image of Bernards was exactly like the one that was found on a Eigg dive site we dived last year. Of course now you've whetted my curiosity I've checked the 2010 ones, and I think they are the same mis-id'd: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyjgilbert-images/5093719938/in/set-72157625217786802 http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyjgilbert-images/5093722214/in/set-72157625217786802 The AKKA is a fantastic reff-dive, I always reef dived it in the past, its a haven for marine life, it should be a protected wreck. Its a shame Clutha has now gone. Anyways, in 2010 we discovered an area that consistently has these nudibranchs in and eggs, probably because their food sources are so plentiful. The shot was midships port-side, and an area to the rear of the bridge, underneath a fallen mast, this was literally covered in them. I do miss diving the AKKA for this reason. Many thanks.

Christian Skauge The first one I would say is a Facelina bostoniensis, the second one is a Flabellina lineata just like you have written. The Facelina is one of the few species we continue to find during the summer here in Norway, and they grow bigger and bigger. By July we have to start watching where we put our hands :-D

Tony Gilbert I can imagine, its all the voracious munching they do. We see fields of stripped Tubularia in Menai Straits in North Wales. Coryphella lineata, me think so too. I think the same colourations are definitely from the same food sources they are eating.

James Lynott Facelina bostoniensis, taken 12/10/13 in Loch Creran, Scotland. Depth 5m, only nudi of the day!

Antoni López-Arenas Cama Facelina bostoniensis? or Facelina coronata with large ceratas? http://www.flickr.com/photos/alopezarenas/8758406807/in/photostream/

João Pedro Silva I think F. auriculata. Btw, F. coronata is a junior synonym: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=139909

Antoni López-Arenas Cama sorry, so the question is: Facelina auriculata or bostoniensis? :-P

João Pedro Silva It seems too slender for F. bostoniensis.

Brendan Oonk F. auriculata usualy has got white lines/dots on the cerata under the white tips. This one hasn't got that......

João Pedro Silva Yes it does have some, Brendan Oonk. And I've got some shots of F. auriculata where the white dots are almost unnoticeable. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpsilva1971/6797184150/

Brendan Oonk I've got pics as well where there are (allmost) no white lines there. And i know that colouration isn't allways a reliable characteristic..... In the Netherlands we see them more like the ones Erling posted. Not trying to disagree with you. just tried to point out that (to me) this is not a typical F. auriculata.

João Pedro Silva It's not a matter of agreeing or not, Brendan Oonk :) It's a matter of finding out which species it is. It's not a typical F. auriculata to me either but with the variations I've seen within this species I think it might be just another one. Antoni López-Arenas Cama has another photo of a local F. bostoniensis where some of the distinctive features, like the broader foot, are clearer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alopezarenas/4739022167/

Peter H van Bragt Hi João Pedro Silva, I would agree on F. bostoniensis. Juvenile F. auriculata's are even more slender. Also the cerata seem to be more clustered in F. auriculata and less (as in this pic) in F. bost.

João Pedro Silva Mind you I've yet to find F. bostoniensis here in Portugal. All the variations I've seen were F. auriculata. The cluster density looks like a good distinctive character but it also varies a lot in F. auriculata and this particular photo is not very clear. The species page on Conchsoc (http://www.conchsoc.org/spAccount/facelina-bostoniensis) also mentions the shape of the propodial tentacles (unfortunately not clear in Antoni's photos) and the differences on the lamellae of the rhinophores: all lamellae form complete rings in F. bostoniensis but some are interrupted on the anterior side in F. auriculata (which makes those which form complete rings more conspicuous). Hence I'm now convinced it's F. bostoniensis. Btw, has any of these been included in recent molecular studies?

Jim Anderson Facelina bostoniensis Loch Linnhe, 21 October 2012 NEX-5

Kate Lock wow a nudi ballet!

Mick Otten Excellent work Jim!

Ian Smith so graceful!

Bernard Picton I was experimenting with iBooks 3 yesterday. Made me think some short movie clips would be nice....

Bjørnar Nygård A Facelina bostoniensis crossing a shell. Bergen, Norway, on the 24th of august.

Arie Vreugdenhil nice pic!

Bjørnar Nygård Thanks

René Weterings "Facelina bostoniensis" ??? Found at divesite Zeelandbrug on the 22nd of july. Only 1cm long.

Peter H van Bragt Yes indeed, F. bostoniensis or as we say in Dutch " 'n Bostootje"! ;-)

René Weterings Hahaha...ok, I didn't know that "nickname" yet....!

Ian Smith Hi Peter & René, I'm not sure it's F.bostoniensis. It has small white splashes on front of its cerata; F.auriculata? What do Joao and Godfried think? See their posting of 12 May.

Godfried van Moorsel Tiny white specks indeed. As Brendan mentioned earlier these may occur in F. bostoniensis as well, but in general, in F. auriculata these spots are larger and may even develop into thick stripes. Some recently posted photos of small specimens of F. auriculata from the same location (Zeelandbrug) illustrate this. Unfortunately '100% characteristics' seem to be scarce in nudibranchs ;-(. The density and colour of cerata make me ID this specimen as F. bostoniensis.

René Weterings Exactly, that's why I am also pretty sure it's not an auriculata.

Ian Smith Thanks Godfried. I agree that the form of the cerata fits F. bostoniensis. It's a matter of ranking the priority of id criteria. How do you rate the colour of the oesophagus for separating this pair? Coral pink on F.auriculata http://www.conchsoc.org/node/3414 and orange-like on bostoniensis. Unfortunately it is not very clear in Rene's picture, but, as far as I can tell, it seems closer to orange than pink, so also suggests F.bostoniensis.

Godfried van Moorsel Photos in this FBgroup and elsewhere suggest the colour of the oesophagus to match the colour of the cerata in most cases. However see http://www.nudibranch.org/Scottish%20Nudibranchs/html/facelina-bostoniensis-25.html for a bosto with pink oesophagus.

Ian Smith Thanks Godfried. Very helpful.

Niels Schrieken I would say this is Facelina bostoniensis, because of the red pigmentation on the head. Or is it Facelina auriculata? Picture taken in Zeeland, the Netherlands

João Pedro Silva I'd say it's not F. auriculata. This has thinner and more compact cerata.

John de Jong F. bostoniensis to my opinion, Niels.

Godfried van Moorsel F. bostoniensis indeed, no isolated white spots on front of cerata

Godfried van Moorsel btw no white line between rhinophores ...

Brendan Oonk Perhaps the white line is not such a good characteristic after all :)

Jim Anderson Facelina bostoniensis

Christian Skauge Drifting behaviour in Facelina bostoniensis. Gulen Dive Resort, Norway, March 2012, 5 meters depth.

Klas Malmberg Aquatilis Snygg bild!

Christian Skauge Thanks Klas :-)

Betty Nel Blu Facelina bostoniensis. Costa Paradiso, Sardegna.

Dave Rolfe My first ever Nudibranch, found while searching seaweed for shells on the Isle of Skye. It was around an inch long. Any ideas of species?

George Brown Hi Dave, think it's Facelina bostoniensis.

Dave Rolfe Thanks George, here is another image:

Julia Nunn definitely Facelina bostoniensis

Dave Rolfe Many thanks! It was just a little blob when I found it, when I pout it into the water it opened up, quite a pretty thing and I was very glad to find it.

Simon Taylor Those 'little blobs' can be so much fun to investigate.

Dave Rolfe As it is my first I can't really comment, but I will be investigating any others I come across from now on :)

David Kipling Very exciting one to start your slug ID career with!

Ingrid Thea Ølberg Could someone help me identify this fellow. Not the best picture. Taken at Svestad, Oslofjord, Norway. 20m ish.

Marco Faasse I would say Facelina bostoniensis. Pic is good enough to see lamellate rhinofores.

Christian Skauge I agree :) These are quite abundant in Norway at the time and have grown to considerable size. For some reason they seem to be darker in color than earlier, must be the food...

Niels Schrieken I would say this is Facelina bostoniensis, because of the red pigmentation on the head. Or is it Facelina auriculata? Picture taken in Zeeland, the Netherlands

João Pedro Silva I'd say it's not F. auriculata. This has thinner and more compact cerata.

John de Jong F. bostoniensis to my opinion, Niels.

Godfried van Moorsel F. bostoniensis indeed, no isolated white spots on front of cerata

Godfried van Moorsel btw no white line between rhinophores ...

Brendan Oonk Perhaps the white line is not such a good characteristic after all :)

Jim Anderson Facelina bostoniensis