Dr. Bernhard Picton, Großbritannien
Info
Since this pretty blue nudibranch was only described in 2004, additional information on Aldisa andersoni cannot be found in the standard works “Nacktschnecken der Weltmeere” (Nudibranchs of the World's Seas) by Debelius & Kuiter and “Nudibranchs and Sea Snails Indo-Pacific Field Guide Over 1000 Photographs of Marine Snails.”
Aldisa andersoni was discovered in 2004 by Dr. Charles Anderson from Pigeon Island, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, and was considered an endemic species for many years.
In 2024, another description of this pretty nudibranch from the Gulf of Manar, India, was published.
Slat is one of four blue species of the genus Aldisa, with black and/or yellow markings.
The living animals are 2-3 cm long, their body is oval and the notal surface is covered with a row of low conical tubercles.
The tubercles form distinct ridges that run longitudinally along the center of the notum and perpendicularly along the sides of the notum margin.
Rows of these tubercles are located in areas with opaque blue pigment, these areas are separated from each other by black areas.
Behind the rhinophores is an opaque, bright yellow saddle that extends across the entire notum.
This saddle extends to the edge of the mantle.
A few bright yellow spots may partially surround the gill pouch.
Some specimens have yellow spots behind the rhinophores.
Aldisa andersoni is a carnivore. The nudibranch prefers sea sponges and stores chemical substances from the sea sponges in its body, which effectively protects it from other predators.
Etymology:
The species name “andersoni” honors the ichthyologist Dr. R. Charles Anderson, Maldives Marine Research Institute, who photographed the first two specimens of the species.
Aldisa andersoni was discovered in 2004 by Dr. Charles Anderson from Pigeon Island, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, and was considered an endemic species for many years.
In 2024, another description of this pretty nudibranch from the Gulf of Manar, India, was published.
Slat is one of four blue species of the genus Aldisa, with black and/or yellow markings.
The living animals are 2-3 cm long, their body is oval and the notal surface is covered with a row of low conical tubercles.
The tubercles form distinct ridges that run longitudinally along the center of the notum and perpendicularly along the sides of the notum margin.
Rows of these tubercles are located in areas with opaque blue pigment, these areas are separated from each other by black areas.
Behind the rhinophores is an opaque, bright yellow saddle that extends across the entire notum.
This saddle extends to the edge of the mantle.
A few bright yellow spots may partially surround the gill pouch.
Some specimens have yellow spots behind the rhinophores.
Aldisa andersoni is a carnivore. The nudibranch prefers sea sponges and stores chemical substances from the sea sponges in its body, which effectively protects it from other predators.
Etymology:
The species name “andersoni” honors the ichthyologist Dr. R. Charles Anderson, Maldives Marine Research Institute, who photographed the first two specimens of the species.
