Cadinella ornatissima (Risbec, 1928)

Cadinella ornatissima is relatively common in the Marshalls. We have seen 91 specimens at Enewetak, Kwajalein, and Bikini Atolls, where they live under rocks primarily on shallow lagoon reefs and pinnacles at depths of about 4 to 12 meters. Nineteen measured specimens ranged from 9 to 25mm in length. One specimen at Enewetak was found eating a sponge tentatively identified as Halisarca metabola de Laubenfels, 1954.

Background dorsal color can range from light yellow to orange, and the pustules may lack their usual red tips. The opaque white nodules embedded within the body under the marginal orange coloration in the photo below are probably glands containing toxic chemicals used as a defense against predators.

The single specimen found at Bikini Atoll (below) had an interesting pattern of streaky orange blotches on the dorsum between all-white pustules.

Egg masses of this species are deposited as a number of tightly packed spirals laying flat on the substrate (right side of photo below). A string of extra-capsular yolk, not visible in the photo, connects the individual ova.

Created 3 January 2006
Updated 23 October 2008