Cyerce nigricans (Pease, 1866)
|Maximum size: about 50 mm? (Zahl, 1959) (Note 1)
is velvet-black with smooth cerata. The cerata have orange spots on
their faces, a narrow orange marginal band and a broader orange submarginal band. The rhinophores have orange
Cyerce nigricans is
a diurnal species that was probably found by Paul Zahl in the protected
waters of Kaneohe Bay. It hasn't been seen in Hawaii since his record.
Oahu: widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific.
Taxonomic notes: Cyerce nigricans
was described by Pease from the "Pacific Islands." So, it may have been
described from Hawaii. If Pease's animal was not Hawaiian, it was first
recorded in Hawaii from Oahu (probably Kaneohe Bay) by Paul Zahl in
1959 (as C. nigra). (Note 2) The animals referred to C. nigricans in Kay, 1979 appear to have been Cyerce pavonina.
Observations and comments:
1: In Zahl's 1959 National Geographic article, the animal in his Cyerce
photo is about 100 mm in length and he states in the caption: "appears
natural size." However, that would be extremely large for the species
and coral polyps in the background appear to be about twice natural size
suggesting a typo.
Note 2: Photos from elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific may be seen on the Sea Slug Forum.