cf. Price’s Aeolid, Apata cf. pricei
This little nudibranch had me baffled for a while. A Hermissenda crassicornis? Nope. A Chocolate Aeolid? Nope. Apparently it’s a member of the Apata species, and was considered a Price’s Aeolid (Apata pricei) up until a couple of years ago when it was relegated to the cf. category (meaning, more research is needed . . could be a whole other species, but in the meantime refer to Apata pricei as a lookalike, possibly the same ) . . . lots of elipses in other words. Its annulated rhinophores (ringed) and lack of centre line, set it apart from the Hermissenda crassicornis, or Hermissenda opalescence. The Chocolate Aeolid is not usually found this far north, its rhinophores are far more smooth and it tends to be smaller. This 20 mm individual was found on the outside of a finger of docks on Pender Island, B.C.