Petalifera ramosa

David Kipling Another individual Petalifera ramosa, this time at the Blue Hole. A spectacular little animal - for Tony Gilbert.

David Kipling Less coralline algae here so looks like individuals have been selected with less of the pink bumps.

Tony Gilbert Nice one David, I guess it was worth dodging all the tecci-divers then! I wish could get to see one In Canary Islands, I'll be on the lookout during the next visit, amongst the algae and weeds. This species isnt in the Especies de Marinas de Canarias book I have. From the forum, seems the Canary version may not be the same: http://www.seaslugforum.net/showall/petaramo Lanzarote can sometimes have large aggregations (30+) of Aplysia at night, mating and feeding), which is when we see them most, so perhaps this one also could be nocturnal there. During the day many Aplysia stick their heads in holes, leaving only their posterial regions exposed.

David Kipling Good luck - to the naked eye they look like semi-transparent blobs, it's not until your take a strobe-lit pic that they show their colours.

Ilan Lubitz APLYSIIDAE ( Petalifera Ramosa ) 2 cm long Night Dive Anilao pier Very difficult to find â€" at philippines .

Ilse Merz very good one!

Ella B. Lubitz Nice shot...

Everett Turner Petalifera ramosa

Giorgio Cavallaro Uwp (Y)

Ilan Lubitz APLYSIIDAE ( Petalifera Ramosa ) 2 cm long Night Dive Anilao pier Very difficult to find â€" at philippines .

Sylvie Omnès great found !

Ella B. Lubitz More pictures to view from you Great Photographer :-)

Ilan Lubitz APLYSIIDAE ( Petalifera Ramosa ) 2 cm long Night Dive Anilao pier Very difficult to find â€" at philippines .

David Kipling And a final query pic from the Red Sea, this time something that looks like a Marionia species of some form. Thoughts?

Sven Kahlbrock Could be Marioniopsis viridescens (Eliot,1904) can be white like this one , but green as well.

David Kipling Another one I should have put in EtOH and brought back then :(

Eric van Andel Why put them in liquid they don't like?? Just leave them in their natural environment...

Sven Kahlbrock Mabye we wouldn´t know that much about nature, if not sometimes we put them in this kind of liquid. and most nudis don´t get that old and reproduce very well. so some species for all the rest is a little and might help to protect the rest

Eric van Andel Please explain to me how you can protect the others by ripping one nudi apart?

Sven Kahlbrock If you know it is a very rare species, located only in one place you have different oportunities. you can try to protect the whole are, National park for example. or you get this species on the CITES list for protected animals.

Sven Kahlbrock but if you don´t know what it is, how can you tell it´s rare?

Eric van Andel If there are hundreds of them: one wouldn't be missed, if it's a rare species you just even more should leave them. Just take pictures from different angles to determine the species and let the area be protected (which wouldn't be easy to accomplish I think) and/or put them on the CITES list. My 2 cents...

David Kipling Depends if the animal is 'new to science'. To describe it as a species you need a voucher specimen, anatomy etc. And to go on the CITES list it needs to be a described species. It's tough; I don't collect samples (despite Bernard Picton encouraging me to do so!) but I would in specific situations where it would generate new knowledge of value. You'll be glad to know that I left all the nudis I saw alive and well in the Red Sea!

Eric van Andel Yes David Kipling, I like that, because in 4 weeks time I'll be in Hurghada for 2 weeks diving and also want to see some nudi's! :-)

Sven Kahlbrock If you got to the north you will definetly see lots of them. the south is a bit less at the moment

Sven Kahlbrock And Eric, if you have the chance, go to thistlegorm. it´s amazing right now

David Kipling Eric van Andel ... go to the stern of the Carnatic on the companionway and there is the cutest little Aplysia you will ever see (Petalifera ramosa). Absolutely spectacular!

Sven Kahlbrock Shit, i was there two days ago, and didn´t see it

Sven Kahlbrock next week than

Eric van Andel what about Abu Galawa, Abu Nugar and El Fanadir??

Chris Bergermann el fanadir is full of frogfishes and yesterday two seahorses inside the lagoon…

Chris Bergermann Peter Fiechter got a pic of the seahorse ;))

Eric van Andel Seahorses on the grass Chris Bergermann?

David Kipling Sven: P. ramosa looks like an almost-clear blob of jelly to the naked eye, but shows lovely colours when photographed. Both times I saw it it was in patches of fluffy algae/bryozoan.

Chris Bergermann directly under the boat inside the grass Eric van Andel

David Kipling Anyone want to hazard an ID on this stunning little Aplysia? Taken a few days ago in the Northern Red Sea (~25m on companionway of the Carnatic). Fabulous camouflage ... the pink lumps perfectly match the coralline algae nearby, and the little tufts match other soft corals at the locale. My ID books do nudis but not sea hares :(

João Pedro Silva Petalifera ramosa, I guess.

David Kipling Cheers - sure looks like it. Stunning animal.

Tony Gilbert Yes, quite a catch David, nice capture. If you get chance to go back on the Carnatic, there is/was a small colony of what looks like Dendrophilla ramosa (orange treel coral), right up in the inside corner of the beginning of the bow section, where no one goes. It was there 3 years back when I last visited Carnatic, but had camera troubles. I think its quite rare in the Red Sea. Also, around there the dragon nudibranch Pteraeolidia ianthina seems to favour this are as well, we spotted 3 last time.

David Kipling Ah yes, Valeria (on our boat) gave us strict instructions not to go right into the bow (think she wasn't too keen on having to haul us out fin-first!). I also found another one of these critters just outside the blue hole at Dahab while batting away techie divers with twinsets and stage tanks ...

Tony Gilbert Yes, it is a bit tricky in the bow section, but it was right at the entrance to the (now) upper part (sbrd), at 20m, so not too much need to enter. Btw, I also saw two other specimens - on the Thistlegorm, one about 25m back from the propeller, and 10m up the hull. If you get the chance look it up. If it is Dendrophilla ramosa it isnt recorded in the popular marine id books for Red Sea (Collins one plus others). Sadly I didnt get chance to get an image of them... maybe August.