Fish identification archive / Lomanotus vermiformis

Lomanotus vermiformis

Lomanotus vermiformis

Fun facts for your next surface interval

Its narrow foot has a groove for gripping a hydroid. [source]
Sticky mucus helps it remain attached. [source]
The corridor record is attributed to Lake Worth Lagoon near Peanut Island, Palm Beach Inlet, Palm Beach County, Florida. [source]

Florida and local context

Anne DuPont photographed this named nudibranch at 12 feet during a 24 June 2008 dive near Peanut Island.

A documented past record does not establish present abundance or guarantee an encounter.

Sources: Local occurrence record: Lake Worth Lagoon near Peanut Island, Palm Beach Inlet, Palm Beach County, Florida

How to recognize this animal

This unusually slender nudibranch has wavy mantle ridges bearing short, pointed cerata.

Sources: Biology reference for Lomanotus vermiformis

Size and life stages

The museum account says it seldom exceeds 25 mm in body length. This is a usual-size statement, not an absolute maximum.

Sources: Biology reference for Lomanotus vermiformis

Habitat and where to look

The documented local setting is Lake Worth Lagoon near Peanut Island, Palm Beach Inlet, Palm Beach County, Florida. The caption reports an observation in 12 feet of water. This is one dive depth, not a species depth limit.

Sources: Local occurrence record: Lake Worth Lagoon near Peanut Island, Palm Beach Inlet, Palm Beach County, Florida

Range and local context

Corridor inclusion is based on Lake Worth Lagoon near Peanut Island, Palm Beach Inlet, Palm Beach County, Florida. Anne DuPont photographed this named nudibranch at 12 feet during a 24 June 2008 dive near Peanut Island. A historical record does not establish current abundance, and a Peanut Island record must not be relabelled as an exact Blue Heron Bridge observation.

Sources: Local occurrence record: Lake Worth Lagoon near Peanut Island, Palm Beach Inlet, Palm Beach County, Florida

What is on the menu?

Rudman reports feeding on the hydroid called Lytocarpus philippinus in that account. The record concerns the species more broadly; the Peanut Island photograph does not identify its meal.

Sources: Biology reference for Lomanotus vermiformis

Daily habits and behavior

A narrow grooved foot and adhesive mucus help it cling to hydroid branches. Its host-like shape makes an exposed animal surprisingly difficult to notice.

Sources: Biology reference for Lomanotus vermiformis

Mating and the next generation

Species-specific courtship, egg development and local seasonal timing were not established by the accessed sources. This remains an evidence gap; a general life cycle for the wider group is not substituted for a documented account of this animal.

Look-alikes and identification traps

A narrow body alone is insufficient. Photograph the mantle ridge, cerata and host without removing the animal.

Sources: Biology reference for Lomanotus vermiformis; WoRMS: accepted identity

Observe without disturbing

Photograph the animal where it lives. Maintain buoyancy and keep fins, hands, lights and equipment clear of it and its substrate. Do not touch, feed, uncover, detach or reposition it. These observation practices do not grant permission to collect.

Harvest, protection and eating safety

Live collection only, where permitted

Listed marine-life group; live-only collection remains subject to location, gear and other restrictions.

This color is a qualified summary, not permission to collect or a guarantee that a particular animal is safe to eat.

Can it be hunted or harvested?

Lomanotus vermiformis maps to the FWC-listed marine-life group nudibranchs/sea slugs (FWC historical Opisthobranchia grouping). This is conditional live collection, not food harvest. Keep alive with adequate life support. Recreational saltwater license required; no recreational sale. Daily limit: five per species within 20 total marine-life organisms; possession: ten per species within 40 total. Use permitted collection gear only; do not remove live rock or damagingly detach a host. No annual season or trip clearance is asserted.

Florida seasons and areas

No year-round or current-trip clearance. Blue Heron Bridge mapped dive-site waters are closed to marine-life harvest; nearby Peanut Island records do not establish that exact location. Biscayne ornamental collection requires a superintendent permit. Its separate mapped fishing/possession closure is March 1–May 31, effective March 2026, with properly stowed continuous transit excepted. Key Largo Management Area prohibits collection of these invertebrates; lobster and commercial trap exceptions do not authorize their collection. Sanctuary Preservation Areas prohibit collecting. Check exact boundaries and current park requirements, including Pennekamp, before any take. General state rules do not override these areas.

Can it be speared?

Do not spear a live-only organism. State and federal jurisdictions differ. FWC location restrictions and NOAA Key Largo spearfishing prohibition must be checked independently. Pennekamp is not a spearfishing allowance.

Is it safe to eat?

No exact-species food-safety clearance, meal frequency, or dated species-matched local menu evidence was verified. Recipes remain disabled. Collection legality is not evidence of edibility.

This review covers the Vero Beach–Key Largo Atlantic corridor: Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Florida Atlantic state waters and South Atlantic federal waters are distinct jurisdictions. Do not extend a state-water season tag to federal waters or transfer Atlantic rules to Gulf-side Keys waters. Park and sanctuary boundaries can override a species allowance. FWC expressly states that its marine-life regulations apply in federal waters; this does not erase independent federal restrictions.

Before you act: Confirm the species, date, exact management area, state or federal waters, gear, licenses and current local closures. A local occurrence record never grants permission to take an animal.

Official rules and health guidance

Reviewed 2026-11-11. Rules and advisories can change; check the linked authorities before acting.

Identification and source cautions

The source names the Peanut Island / Palm Beach Inlet diving area, not an exact Blue Heron Bridge position. Do not relabel it as a BHB sighting.
This documents a past local record, not current abundance or a guaranteed encounter. Photographs remain copyrighted; no reuse rights are implied.
The exact local photograph is attributed to its source and has not been independently reidentified for this draft.
Biological source access varies: some records were accessible only as an abstract or indexed passage. Independent claim review is required.
No cited photograph is reproduced or licensed by this draft.

Sources and review

Reviewed 2026-11-11; biological claims and this representative illustration independently checked. Photographs on cited sites are reference material and are not reproduced here.

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