Nudibranchs from the Northern Persian Gulf

Abstract

Field studies were conducted in a number of intertidal and offshore islands in the Persian Gulf between 2006 to 2013. SCUBA and skin diving surveys were conducted around Larak, Hormuz, Qeshm, Hengam, Farur, Kish, Lavan, Khark and Farsi islands in the northern region of the Persian Gulf. Marine invertebrates including nudibranchs were photographed up to 32 m. Several species of nudibranchs are reported from the northern region of the Persian Gulf, over the Iranian side. In total, 32 genera of nudibranchs are recorded, which include Fryeria rüeppelii, Haminoea sp., Chromodoris annulata, Gymnodoris rubropapulosa, Cuthona yamasui, Hypselodoris maridadilus, Glossodoris pallida, Glossodoris sp., Asteronotus cespitosus, Marioniopsis viridescens, Stylocheilus striatus, Jorunna funebris and Elysia sp. were recorded from several Iranian Island in the Persian Gulf. The most common species was Chromodoris annulata throughout most of the surveyed islands, but Haminoea sp. was highly abundant and conspicuous species only in Farsi Island. Except for G. pallida, Glossodoris sp. and C. annulata, all the above species are considered new records for the northern region of the Persian Gulf, but Bursatella leachii, M. viridescens, Phestilla lugubris, Discodoris lilacina and Haminoea sp. are new records from the Persian Gulf proper. An increase in several new records to the Iranian fauna and new records of rare species, in relatively few years results mainly from sampling effort and contributions by specialists on samples of poorly known sampled areas. Prospects for finding new and more species are promising given more diving operations are carried out.