Ceratosoma gracillimum

Eric Banzon Noora Would like help in confirming whether this is a Ceratosoma gracillimum or C. trilobatum? About 120 cm. Depth of about 4.5m Anilao, Batangas Philippines

Stewart Clarke Due to the lack of a visible mantel between the head and centre section I would say it is gracillimum

Eric Banzon Noora Thanks Stewart Clarke for the confirmation :-)

Jim Anderson Looks like Ceratosoma trilobatum to me.

Gary Cobb This is Ceratosoma trilobatum

Eric Banzon Noora Thanks Jim and Gary. Would appreciate though clarification why despite the lack of mantle this is a C. trilobatum? Or are there any other major considerations for the difference? Thanks :-)

Gary Cobb The difference I can see is that the "lack of margin area" has a remnant and is not rounded without a raised corner.

Gary Cobb Look at the body shape in the area you are concerned with...the top is flat and the sides are flat and when the sides and top meet you have a corner not a nicely round body.

Eric Banzon Noora Great. Thanks Gary for the clarification. Cheers

Gary Cobb After some thinking about this issue Eric there are animals that have been called C trilobatum and do not have a definite line. Some animals have a broken line that peters out into the area of discussion

Gary Cobb Eric see new thread!

Eric Banzon Noora Thanks Gary! Will trust your expertise on this one.

Gary Cobb After blowing up this photo I can see a marginal line that is dotted and peters out in the central area. Any way this is a great discussion, lets hear what everyone has to say!

Gary Cobb Eric in the science of species identification especially in regards to Nudibranch, external features at the end of the day are only a guess. Too bad we don't have a little hand-held DNA analisizor!

Eric Banzon Noora Yup. Wouldn't that be neat Gary!

Gary Cobb Yep Eric hope I have helped you.

Eric Banzon Noora Oh you have Gary. Love your indo pacific app

Gary Cobb Thanks heaps! I use it all the time.

Gary Cobb As I said in an earlier thread Ceratosoma gracillimum identification as compared to Ceratosoma trilobatum can be literally a fine line! Here I present photos from the FORUM that Bill Rudman has positively ID'd as Ceratosoma trilobatum. Your call folks what are your thoughts? Only DNA analysis can be certain.

Gary Cobb Eric your original shot is in the centre.

Eric Banzon Noora Really hard to determine. Indeed a fine line without DNA analysis. Thanks Gary. Will try to post another angle when i get home. Might help

Gary Cobb Sounds good:)

Gianni Cicalese Ceratosoma gracillimum - Bima - Indonesia - Canon EOS500D Nimar Housing - ef-S 60 Macro - 2 x Inon Z-240

Toni Chua What spesies of this Ceratosoma? Please advise About 8 cm length, 3 m depth, and found in Pramuka Island, Indonesia.

Blogie Robillo Difficult to tell with this angle. Do you have a full-body shot?

Toni Chua Is it enough Blogie Robillo?

Blogie Robillo I think this might be Ceratosoma gracillimum, but the gills look kinda different...

Boomer William Wing http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6cCeratosoma_tenue__Purple_Edged_Ceratosoma_Nudibranch_(2649065671).jpg

Boomer William Wing I'm think'in C. tenue

Kristin Anderson Ceratosoma trilobatum? | Lembeh

Gary Cobb I think this Ceratosoma gracillimum

Kristin Anderson great, thanks.

Kristin Anderson Hurry up Android ap :D

Gary Cobb Keeping fingers crossed by the end of May! (or before!!)

IkeBe Ph 30mm taken at a depth of 60 ft Anilao, Batangas

Patrik Good Is it Ceratosoma trilobatum?

Blogie Robillo I believe it's Ceratosoma gracillimum

Shane Siers Here's the first in what promises to be a long series of videos of nudibranchs and other sea slugs from the Philippines. Just a taste of the bizarre and vibrant biodiversity from some of the world's most endangered reefs and marine habitats... In this video, from Anilao and Puerto Galera: Tritonia sp., Dermatobranchus sp., Eubranchus sp., Sakuraeolis nungunoides, Hypeslodoris krakatoa, Ardeadoris averni, Atagema cf spongiosa, Halgerda dalanghita, Glossodoris rufomarginata, Ceratosoma gracillimum and Marionia sp. www.macronesia.net www.facebook.com/macronesia.net

Delos Reyes Eddie amazing shots

Shane Siers Thanks, Delos.

Shane Siers Thanks for the likes, friends.

Lindz Warren This looks like it would be great but I have a slow connection here. Any chance of a lower resolution version? :-)

Elly Jeurissen Awesome footage! Thanks for sharing, Shane. Looking forward to the next part(s) :-)

Shane Siers Lindz, my video host service has lower-res versions for slower connections, it is supposed to sense your speed and provide the right version. But at some point slow is too slow, nothing to be done about it on my end, I'm afraid. I hope you'll try again, maybe at a different time of day when fewer people are sharing your bandwidth.

Eric Fly Awesome vid man. You shoot the best. I miss the hunt.

Shane Siers We miss you, too, dude. I think Dave's having a hard time finding buddies...

Gary Cobb Hope this makes life easier... 1. Ceratosoma trilobatum is characterised by having only one large lateral lobe on each side of the body, just anterior to the gills. 2. Ceratosoma tenue can be characterised by the three mantle lobes on each side of the body. There is a large anterior lobe on either side of the head and a large lobe on each side by the gills. Between these is a smaller lobe which is joined by a ridge to the gill lobe, but not the head lobe. The edge of the lobes and the ridge joining the posterior lobes is usually outlined with a broken purple line. 3. Ceratosoma gracillimum can be distinguished externally by the complete absence of the mantle edge between the head and the well-developed lateral lobes on each side, just in front of the gills.

Ashley Missen Thanks Gary - good add

Patrick Preston II Thanks. Is there an online collection of characteristic traits like the above? I was a forestry major, and we had keys to identify all the plants in our area. Maybe a better question would be: Is there an online collection of the scientific papers describing each species?

Gary Cobb Yes every described species has had a scientific paper written about it. How you can get one is another problem...try Google! The paper would have everything about the species and what makes it different than everything else.

Gary Cobb A databased driven character trait website...I have never seen one. The Nudibranch ID Apps I have been doing work well with searches and work primarily on colour, size, name, author, dates, families and orders. And it work very fast and without internet connection.

Ashley Missen Have seen one but it was for fish id - but the concept could be transferred easily enough -- http://www.divearound.com.au/fish/identify.html

Gary Cobb I do believe this is a Branch Show Ash!

Ashley Missen Yes I know Gary - but use these concept on a nudi ID site - body shape, gill types - patterns and so forth - would be cool and with colours too

Patrick Preston II They do have a nudibranch section. I tried to describe a Chomodoris willani (first one that came to my head) and it shot out Chromodoris coi. But yes it is more geared towards fish. I keep thinking about the first time I saw a Ceratosoma miamirana. I would have never thought that it was a Ceratosoma. It took lots of time looking through pics to figure it out. With its characteristic spots on the underside of the mantle, it could have saved some time.

Patrick Preston II I googled the apps. Is there one that will work on my laptop? Or is it only for Iphones

Ashley Missen Will be adding some new features in version 2 of the Nudibase - request accepted

Gary Cobb The Apps are for iPhone and work on iPad too.

Manfred Keller Periclimenes imperator on Ceratosoma gracillimum - Puerto Galera (Philippines)

Lindz Warren Think it is more likely to be on a Ceratosoma gracillimum Semper in Bergh, 1876. Anyone else's thoughts?

Ron Silver Concur with ID as C. gracillimum

Joaquin Muñoz uauuuuuuu lindo :)

Manfred Keller Periclimenes imperator on Ceratosoma gracillimum - Puerto Galera (Philippines)

Lindz Warren Think it is more likely to be on a Ceratosoma gracillimum Semper in Bergh, 1876. Anyone else's thoughts?

Ron Silver Concur with ID as C. gracillimum

Joaquin Muñoz uauuuuuuu lindo :)

Elodie Camprasse Hello Nudibranch Lovers! I am writing an article on nudibranchs in Vietnam and I'd like to be sure of the identification of species on the photos I am going to submit... Is this Ceratosoma tenue?

Erwin Koehler I think this is Ceratosoma gracillimum Semper in Bergh, 1876

Elodie Camprasse thank you for your help Erwin!!

Ilan Lubitz Nudibranch (Ceratosoma tenue) Anilao. Philippines. Nikon D3X. 60mm. SB-105.

Gary Cobb This Ceratosoma gracillimum because C. tenue has 3 lobes on each side of the mantle plus since the purple mantle margin does not extend from the anterior lobes to the gill lobes makes this C. gracillimum and only has 2 lobes

Ilan Lubitz Tnx Gary for the info =D

Gary Cobb I hope this helps.

Ilan Lubitz yes Gary it help =D

Blogie Robillo Could someone pls confirm if this is Ceratosoma gracillimum? About 2.5cm, less than 20m depth. Gato Island dive site, 3 March 2012.

Gary Cobb Yes I agree!

Patrick Preston II Is there an online database that lists the distinguishing characteristics for a genus or species. Often times there are only small differences that distinguish between species. Example, I always have difficulty for on-the-spot id's of Ceratosoma gracillimum, Ceratosoma trilobatum, and Ceratosoma tenue. When I find a new to me species, it takes a lot of time browsing photos of what I think it could be.

Ashley Missen Hi Patrick - that is sort of what I am working on in the Nudibase - it is just taking a lot of time and money to add all the bits I would like - also it work best if people send in there dive stats with Photos - where when how many and so on - have a look at the stats sent in by Gary Cobb and myself -cheers Ash

Gary Cobb See thread above!

Frans Ricc Another help, still from Lembeh... Anyone can give me an hint?

João Pedro Silva Ceratosoma sp.

João Pedro Silva Looks like one of the (many) variations of C. trilobatum: http://www.nudipixel.net/photo/00004228/

Jim Anderson or maybe Ceratosoma gracillimum http://www.nudibranch.org/Philippine%20Sea%20Slugs/html/nudibranchs/ceratosoma-gracillimum-01.html