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Phylum Mollusca > Class Gastropoda > sea slugs > Order Nudibranchia
Bumpy-faced armina nudibranch
Armina sp.
Family Arminidae
updated Mar 2020

Where seen? This armina nudibranch is sometimes seen on Changi and some of our Northern shores among seagrass meadows. It is often seen burrowing in sand.

Features: 3-4cm long. Long, narrow body with stripes and a white border on the edge of the mantle skirt. The foot is white too. The wedge-shaped flap over its mouth (oral veil) has finger-like bumps on it. It lacks a feathery gill on its back. According to Bill Rudman, the coloured wiggly lines seen on the underside of the body are not gills although gas exchange may take place. These act like the cerata of aeolids, a place where the digestive gland can expand. These lines often are the same colour of their sea pen food.

Changi, Jul 05

'Bumps' on its 'face'.

Wiggly lines under the mantle.
Changi, Jul 05
Sometimes mistaken for Semper's armina nudibranch (Armina semperi) that has a more colourful oral veil and foot and lacks 'bumps' on its face.

What does it eat? As a group, the armina nudibranchs eat soft corals and sea pens. The bumpy-faced armina nudibranch is often seen near sea pencils. It is possible that they eat the sea pencils. Bill Rudman has a post sharing how an armina nudibranch feeds on a sea pen and is dragged down into the sand when the sea pen retracts.

Jelly-like egg mass next to it?
Changi, Aug 05

Next to a sea pencil.
Changi, Jun 05

Bumpy-faced armina nudibranch on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


On a spiky sea pen.
East Coast Park, Feb 19
Photo shared by Teo Say Chong on facebook.

Links
References
  • Debelius, Helmut, 2001. Nudibranchs and Sea Snails: Indo-Pacific Field Guide IKAN-Unterwasserachiv, Frankfurt. 321 pp.
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