Flabellina exoptata Gosliner & Willan, 1991

We have seen Flabellina exoptata in a variety of locations at Enewetak and Kwajalein Atolls, including lagoon reefs, pinnacles, and on the seaward reef. Like Pteraeolidia ianthina, it is most easily found in the normally extremely rough windward seaward reef groove and spur system at depths of 2 to 5 meters. There is good hydroid growth in this area, but it wouldn't seem that any small nudibranch could hold on well enough to live there in the normally very surgy conditions. They must have a better grip than I would expect. We have seen individuals up to about 21mm long. In the first photo below, the nudibranch seems to be gliding along off the bottom; it is actually crawling on the tops of the filamentous algae growing on the substrate.

Created 8 January 2007
Updated 26 November 2007