Home Acknowledgments Conventions Glossary Maps References Links Articles Thumbnails Species list Family Next species _______________   Additional Photos   side underside   papillate   intermediate   young   in situ   probable egg mass _______________   GALLERY	Aldisa pikokai Bertsch & Johnson, 1982   Maximum size:  24 mm. Identification:  This is an orange-red dorid with red gills tipped in white. The rhinophores and gills are flanked by irregular patches of white pigment and there are often two additional, less developed, patches midway between them. In mature animals the notum is covered by a network of ridges with papillae at their junctions. However, in young animals the ridges may be absent or poorly developed and the notum may appear uniformly papillate. (Note 1) It may be distinguished from the similar appearing Aldisa sp. #1 by the presence of three crater-like depressions on its mid-notum (in contrast to two in the latter species). Natural history:  Aldisa pikokai is a moderately common nocturnal dorid found under rocks at moderately exposed to highly exposed rocky sites. It occurs at depths of 1-24 m (3-80 ft). Scott Johnson reports it apparently feeding on an orange-red encrusting sponge. A bright red egg mass was found near paired animals in the field. Distribution:  Big Island, Maui, Oahu and French Frigate Shoals: also known from the Marshall Islands. Taxonomic notes:  The photo labeled Sclerodoris sp. in Kay, 1979 (on p. 456) is actually of this species, instead. It is also listed as Aldisa sp. in Bertsch and Johnson, 1981. It's referred to as the "pitted nudibranch" in Hoover, 1998 & 2006. Photo:  CP: 24 mm: Kapalua Bay, Maui; April 24, 2008. Observations and comments: Note 1:  Very small animals are consistently papillate suggesting that the ridges develop with age. Also, the presence of intermediate animals supports lumping the two forms. However, the size at which the ridges first appear seems to be variable.
	Thumbnails Species list Family Next species Top