Home
Acknowledgments
Conventions
Glossary
Maps
References
Links
Articles
Thumbnails
Species list
Family
Next species
_______________
 
Additional Photos
 

side
 

front
 

underside
 

branchia
 


young, 4mm
 


feeding cluster
 


mating


with egg masses
_______________
 
GALLERY
 



 
Okenia pellucida
Burn, 1967
 
Okenia pellucida
Maximum size:  8.5 mm.

Identification:  This is a dusky cream animal decorated with random brown lines. The notum is covered with moderately long, slender processes. The rhinophores have cup-like lamellae on their posterior faces and brown medial bands.

Natural history:  Okenia pellucida is a common species on the exposed accretion platform at Maalaea Bay but is rare at other sites. (Note 1) At that site, it occurs at 2-5 m (6-16 ft). Scott Johnson also found it to be fairly common in a somewhat more protected area at Magic Island, Oahu. It feeds on the bryozoan Zoobotryon sp. (now changed to Amathia). (Gosliner, et. al., 2008) It lays an egg mass composed of an irregularly arranged white ribbon that hatches in three to four days in the laboratory.

Distribution:  Maui and Oahu: widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific.

Taxonomic notes:  It was probably first reported in Hawaii from Kewalo Basin, Oahu, in Oct., 1963 (Kay & Young, 1969--as Okenia sp.).

Photo:  Rebecca Bicker: pair: found by Kelly McCaffrey; Maalaea Bay, Maui; March 1, 2021.

Observations and comments:

Note 1:  Kelly McCaffrey reported finding "dozens and dozens" of animals clustered on their host bryozoan (along with many egg masses) at Maalaea Bay on Jan. 17, 2022.
Thumbnails
Species list
Family Next species Top