A Nudibranch Story

Back in 2004 our friend the late Neville Coleman wrote us a letter telling us of his latest find:
"A strange Melibe Nudibranch that is almost transparent.... almost unrecognisable as a nudibranch", that he had found in Malayasian Borneo (just one single specimen). Along with the letter was a fridge magnet photo of this, the strangest nudibranch we had ever seen (which is still on our fridge).
There were more photos published in his last book on Nudibranchs:
The Nudibranch Encyclopedia
He told us "I'm sure you will find them in Indonesia, as the habit is quite uniqe, but does exist there"

Ten years later, in November this year. We were diving the waters west of Flores in the Komodo National Park and we find Neville's elusive melibe nudibranch. It's a night dive and we descend onto the sandy bottom with Briarium soft corals dotted all around. Our enthusiastic dive guide finds two of these rare and interesting nudibranchs just as we begin the dive.
I spent the entire dive in a very small area, looking and straining my eyes to try and find more of these creatures, and did find two more individuals in different colours. The rest of my dive I just watched them and thought about Neville. Our eccentric old friend who would often spent his entire dive in a six meter by six meter area. A man with no formal training in marine science, but he also discovered more than many scientists. Just because he loved the sea and its creatures, and dived with enthusiasm and an open mind. Neville passed away quietly in May 2012, just a few weeks before this strangest of Nudibranch's was officially named after him: Melibe colemani joined the list of other Coleman species, all discovered by a man with nothing more than a passion for his interest -  RIP Neville

• Click here for our tribute to Neville Coleman