Noumea simplex (Pease, 1871)

Noumea simplex was sporadically common at Enewetak Atoll and several specimens have been found at Kwajalein. Most specimens were observed on lagoon interisland reefs under dead coral or aluminum debris blown into the water after typhoon Pamela in 1982. Fifteen measured animals ranged from 5 to 13mm in length. Similar to N. decussata, N. simplex externally differs in that the rhinophore and gill coloration is restricted to the tips. The one below has an unusually large number of orange dots on its body.

The animals are usually found on their prey pink sponge. Color of the body varies from white to pink and there is a usually interrupted orange-red margin to the body.

The photo below shows how the body color can vary. Here four cluster together to munch on the pink sponge.

Burrowing through the food: a glutton's paradise!

The spiral at left is an egg mass.

The specimen below certainly looks like N. simplex, but it was eating a yellow sponge, which is very unusual for this species. Possibly the identification is not correct.

Created 19 December 2005
Updated 11 December 2008