Home Acknowledgments Conventions Glossary Maps References Links Articles Thumbnails Species list Family Next species _______________   Additional Photos   underside   side   dark   intermediate    young, 6 mm    autotomized mantle   resting cluster   shell   possible egg mass _______________   GALLERY	Pleurobranchus albiguttatus (Bergh, 1905)   Maximum size:  about 65 mm. Identification:  The notum of this pleurobranchid is covered with closely spaced conical tubercles. A few scattered tubercles are noticeably larger than the others and the background color ranges from light orange to dark wine-red. The amount of white pigment is highly variable with many animals lacking it entirely and some being almost completely white. (Note 1) In those with only scattered white spots, the white pigment is concentrated on the dorsal faces of the larger tubercles creating the illusion that they are longer than they appear to be in dark individuals. In young animals, the tubercles are poorly developed and the rhinophores have white tips.The smaller tubercles and lack of contrasting dark tubercles distinguish it from Pleurobranchus cf. peroni. Natural history:  Pleurobranchus albiguttatus is a common nocturnal species found in moderately protected to highly exposed rocky habitats and, occasionally, in Halimeda kanaloana beds. It occurs in tide pools and subtidally to depths of 15 m (50 ft). Like many pleurobranchs, it may autotomize portions of its mantle if disturbed. It contracts it's rhinophores rhythmically while crawling and lays a cream egg mass with a ruffled upper margin that hatches in about four days in the laboratory. Distribution:  Big Island, Maui, Oahu, Kauai and French Frigate Shoals: widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific. Taxonomic notes:  The photograph labeled Pleurobranchus peronii in Kay, 1979 is of the dark form of this species, instead. Although Kay, (1979) suggests that they are unidentifiable, it seems likely that Pleurobranchus marginatus Pease, 1860 and Pleurobranchus varians Pease, 1860 were actually this species (referring, respectively, to juvenile and mature animals). So, it may well have been first reported from Hawaii in Pease, 1860. Photo:  PF: light: Makena, Maui: July 6, 2008. Observations and comments: Note 1:  We've seen dark and white-spotted animals paired under rocks on several occasions. (see photo) Also, both color forms have identical flattened, wedge-shaped shells. Those observations support placing them in the same species.
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