Noumea cf verconiforma Rudman, 1995

Another pink Noumea species, this one is known from only two specimens found at Enewetak. Both were on the pink sponge shown at the left side of the photo below. They measured 16 and 9mm. The texture of the body is similar to that of Noumea verconiforma on the Sea Slug Forum. Gosliner et al (2008) report it from Papua New Guinea as Noumea sp. 5.

The next two photos show both of the known specimens. These were actually found on different days. During its last few years of existence, the Mid-Pacific Research Lab at Enewetak Atoll was situated at the northern, narrow end of Enewetak Island. About 100 meters to the east of the lab building was the seaward intertidal reef flat, which sported a large "tide pool," the quarry, which had been excavated for aggregate to make concrete during World War II Japanese occupation of the islands. Only about 30 or so meters to the west of the lab was the lagoon beach. Right off the beach was a mostly flat reef of mostly rubble and rocks, with some live coral and patches of sand, which gradually sloped out a couple hundred meters to depths of maybe 10 meters where it finally dropped down a steeper sandy slope to the lagoon bottom. Among the rocks and rubble near shore at depths of 2 to 5 meters were nudibranchs. It was easy to hop in the water during the day and spend some time looking under these rocks, and I took advantage of this and got out there to count them several times week. On 5 September 1983, I found the larger of these two pink nudis on pink sponge under a rock. I collected it to examine it in the lab's flow-thru sea tables, and took it back out the next day to take more photos. While out, I came across the smaller one, so I was able to get photos of both together. These are the only two specimens I have seen.

Under the same rock as the larger specimen was an individual of Thorunna halourga, at left below.

Created 19 December 2005
Updated 21 February 2009

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