Babakina indopacifica was recently described from, well, the Indo-Pacific. The Kwajalein specimens resemble those we observed in Hawaii. The first Kwajalein specimen, shown in the first three photos, was found in Halimeda algae, probably feeding on the hydroids growing on the algae. It was on a sandy lagoon reef at a depth of about 6 meters, and its length was about 10mm. Additional specimens have turned up on both lagoon and seaward reefs.
Another pair was found on 23 February 2009 on algae at the edge of a dead coral rock on a Kwajalein Atoll lagoon reef in 6m of water. One of these is shown in the close up photos below. It measured about 12mm in length.
The brightly colored specimen below was found at a depth of 8m on Halimeda algae at night on 20 June 2009 on a Kwajalein Atoll lagoon reef.
Created 21 May 2007
Updated 28 June 2009