Home Acknowledgments Conventions Glossary Maps References Links Articles Thumbnails Species list Family Next species _______________   Additional Photos   large spots   young, red    young, banded   rhinophores   pair with egg mass _______________   GALLERY	Dendrodoris nigra (Stimpson, 1855)   Maximum size:  about 76 mm (Hoover, 2006). Identification:  This species has a soft, gelatinous texture. In mature animals, the notum is covered with very small tubercles, arranged in clusters, with the central tubercle in each cluster slightly larger. The body is usually black when mature but juveniles are typically bright red and intermediate animals often have a black margin and a red submarginal band. The tubercles and rhinophores are usually tipped with white. The branchia are smaller, but more numerous, than in Dendrodoris fumata. Natural history:  Dendrodoris nigra is a common species found under rocks during the day or crawling in the open at night from the low intertidal to 5 m (16 ft). It occurs at moderately protected to moderately exposed rocky sites. We've found it associated with a fine-textured, peach-colored sponge and it may be eaten by the xanthid crab, Platypodia eydouxi. (Note 1) It lays a bright yellow, spiral egg mass and the eggs hatch in about four days in the laboratory. Distribution:  Big Island, Maui, Oahu, French Frigate Shoals, Midway and Kure: widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific. Taxonomic notes:  This species is referred to as the "black dendrodoris" in Hoover, 1998 & 2006. It was first reported from Hawaii in Pease, 1860 (as Hexabranchus nebulosa). Photo:  CP: 35 mm: Hekili Point, Maui; March 16, 2009. Observations and comments: Note 1:  On March 29, 2009 a student reported finding a Platypodia eydouxi holding a D. nigra in its claw during a beach walk at Hekili Point, Maui. The animal was somewhat mangled supporting the observation. This suggests that the crab may prey on D. nigra.
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