Melibe Madness!
We had an noteworthy find recently: something from the genus Melibe, which has some very interesting members.
Over the past year all the resorts in Lembeh have received an increasing number of a single name on the wish lists: the Melibe colemani. We have found a few, but they are small, delicate and very hard to find, even when you know where to look. One of our guides thought he had found one recently and I went over to have a look.
The M. colemani is white, but this one had brownish markings, so after my initial excitement and a closer look at my photos, I did some research. I’m not 100% sure, but out of the known species, I do believe that this critter is the Melibe rangii, also known as the Melibe engeli. It’s a lovely slug, as you can see. Notice that he’s feeding in each photo… an active individual. I have yet to get snaps of the elusive M. colemani, but I’m not complaining.
Tripadvisor Reviews:
Address:
Black Sand Dive Retreat
Kel. Kasawari, Bitung
Lembeh Strait
North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Tel:
+62 (0)821-9969-5992
info@blacksanddive.com