Favorinus Sp. #1

This is a rather innocuous and tiny nudibranch that can easily be overlooked or assumed to be the much more common white version of the Favorinus japonicus.  The nudibranch documented here was only about 6- 8 mm and it wasn’t until I could look at the images on the computer that I could make out the subtle difference.  Most noticeable are the pinkish/lilac spots on the cerata, as well as a fine white speckling on both the body and the nodular cerata.  Sea Slugs of Hawaii shows some of the variations in colour and provides more taxonomic information.  Found in less than 2 metres of water in North Kihei, Maui.