Noumea angustolutea Rudman, 1990

This species is occasionally seen at Enewetak and Kwajalein Atoll. They seem to prefer lagoon interisland reefs and pinnacles at depths of about 4 to 20 meters. While most of them prefer to hide under rocks by day, specimens are sometimes seen exposed on rocks during the day or in ledges at night. One was on a sponge encrusted piling under Medren Pier at Enewetak. Sixteen measured specimens ranged from 8 to 25mm in length.

The pair below was found under a chunk of prickly Porolithon algae on a shallow western lagoon reef at a depth of about 6m on 20 October 2008. Right in front of the larger one is a small cephalaspidean Colpodaspis thompsoni.

Below is a similar looking species from Hawaii, Ardeadoris scottjohnsoni. Although placed in a different genus, this looks in size, shape, color to be closely related to N. angustolutea. The biggest external difference is the overall whiter coloration and the darker, mostly black, rhinophores and gills. Curiously, the same pattern in gill coloration can be seen in Glossodoris tomsmithi, which occurs both in the Marshalls and in Hawaii. The Hawaiian G. tomsmithi have mostly black rhinophores, much like those of A. scottjohnsoni, while specimens from the Marshalls have brown rhinophores, more like those of N. angustolutea. I think the differences between N. angustolutea and A. scottjohnsoni should be reexamined.

Created 18 December 2005
Updated 30 October 2008