Trapania palmula

Trapania palmula
The nudibranch Trapania palmula, Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Nudibranchia
Family: Goniodorididae
Subfamily: Anculinae
Genus: Trapania
Species:
T. palmula
Binomial name
Trapania palmula
Gosliner & Fahey, 2008

Trapania palmula is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.

Distribution

This species was described from Luzon, Philippines. It is also found in Indonesia and southern Japan.

Three T. palmula. Leftmost of smallest size, facing away from camera. Middle of largest size, head at left end of body. Rightmost of middle size, head at left end of body.

Description

This species of Trapania is unusual in having raised rounded tubercles all over the body. It is translucent white in colour with dense speckling of brown and some larger brown patches. While there can be variation in the density of patching and depth of pigmentation, the lateral papillae always have a patch of white surrounding a blue diagonal streak, and the oral tentacles are always tipped in dark yellow, with a dark brown band below.

T. palmula, head towards right

Ecology

Trapania palmula feeds on Entoprocta which often grow on sponges and other living substrata.

References

  1. ↑ Gosliner, T.M. & Fahey, S.H. (2008) Systematics of Trapania (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Goniodorididae) with descriptions of 16 new species Systematics and Biodiversity, 6 (1): 53-98
  2. 1 2 Rudman, W.B., 2008 (March 10) Trapania palmula Gosliner & Fahey, 2008. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.