Aegires villosu

The water temperature was a frigid 24 °C at Kirby's Rock, one of the best places to search for nudibranchs. At 32 metres we found a beautiful yet tiny 12mm Aegires villosu feeding on a blue sponge. Aegires villosu is a small but very colorful Notodorid species. Typical of this group it has a relatively hard, rigid body, covered with slender, round tipped papillae. It was my first encounter with this species so I was very excited. Looking through my super macro setup I noticed that the purple tipped papillae had very fine hairs on them. When you uncover and photograph a splendid, rare creature like this, it fuels your passion and makes any effort worthwhile. It is the rewarding moment. Anilao, Batangas, Philippines.
Photocomp June '09 - Open

Contributed by J_deGuzman

2009-07-20