Gabriela's Tambja

Tambja gabrielae is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae.

Description

Tambja gabrielae is black or dark green with bright yellow patches scattered on green ground. The body is elongate with a long pointed posterior end of the foot. There is a wide bright yellow band around the edge of the notum which extends to the posterior part of the gills. Another band of same colour runs on both flanks of the body interrupted posteriorly, but continues along back of the tail to its end; this band also covers the oral tentacles. Another wide bright yellow band runs along the edge of the foot. There are two large yellow patches, one between the rhinophores, and the other located behind former and the gills. Yellow patches on posterior part have an irregular arrangement. The rhinophores and the oral tentacles are bright yellow.

Distribution

This species is found in Sulawesi (Indonesia), Philippines and Papua New Guinea.

Habitat and biology

Found singly, pairs or groups during the day out in the open over coral and rocky reefs. They feed only on Bryozoans. Members of the order Nudibranchia are simultaneous hermaphrodites. Mating behavior: Both individuals darts their penis toward each other to induce one to act as a male and the other as the female. The victorious one to penetrate the body wall is the dominant male. Life cycle: Eggs are deposited on a substratum where they develop and hatch into (planktonic) vestigial veliger larval stage and further grow as adults.