Dermatobranchus fortunatus is common on some Marshall Islands intertidal reefs, particularly along the eastern reef at Enewetak Atoll. They are usually under rocks in less than 1 meter of water, but a few have been observed as deep as 10 meters. We have also seen this species at Kwajalein and Utirik Atolls, and additional specimens have been observed at Rongelap Atoll by John and Lynette Flynn and at both Rongelap and Majuro Atolls by Ken Cone and Beth Van Zummeren. Twelve measured specimens ranged from 7 to 15mm in length. Dermatobranchus fortunatus was first reported in the Marshalls from Enewetak and Kwajalein Atolls as Dermatobranchus fortunata by Johnson & Boucher (1984).
The small individual below was under a dead fungiid coral on the Kwajalein Atoll seaward reef on 5 January 2015.
Christina Sylvester found and photographed a specimen with eggs in a Kwajalein reef quarry at a depth of about 2m on 10 February 2016.
The three photos below by Ken Cone, the first two from Rongelap.
The Majuro specimen.
Created 20 January 2007
Updated 16 October 2021