Berghia major (Eliot, 1903)

Berghia major is not especially rare in the Marshalls in certain habitats. We have seen numerous specimens here, once on a shallow lagoon reef at Enewetak Atoll under a rock at a depth of 8 meters and quite a number--30 or more--recent specimens at about the same depth on a Kwajalein Atoll lagoon reef in Halimeda algae. There is some disagreement about whether this species belongs in Spurilla, Berghia, or Baeolidia. Some researchers split them up based apparently on differences in the reproductive system, while others say those differences are minor and they all should be placed under Spurilla. Even the giants in the field appear to hold different positions. We have gone back and forth, and at the moment are listing it under Berghia, which matches the Seaslugs of Hawaii site.

This large 35mm long specimen nearly lacked the blue and yellow cerata bands seen on many of the smaller ones we see. It was found in Halimeda on a lagoon reef on 16 November 2008.

This close up shows the papillate rhinophores and brown speckling in the skin.

At about 14mm, the specimen in the two photos below is about the smallest we have seen.

The following specimen was in the midst of a wide sandy slope. Apparently, this small ball of furry Lyngbya blue-green algae was all it could find to attach its eggs to. This specimen was seen on 20 October 2008 in Kwajalein lagoon at a depth of about 16m.

Created 8 January 2007
Updated 27 December 2008