Marionia hawaiiensis
(Pease, 1860)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DENDRONOTINA
Family: Tritoniidae

DISTRIBUTION

Endemic to Hawaii

PHOTO

Upper: animal 50mm long alive. Lower photo shows an 26mm long individual on its food source, the Hawaii endemic soft coral Anthelia edmondsoni. Photos: Scott Johnson.

Body translucent orange brown with varying degrees of green pigmentation. The body is covered with low rounded tubercles each surrounded by a dark green ring, the rings forming a reticulate pattern all over the body. Often the green colouration extends over the tubercles and colours the rhinophores, oral veil and tentacles, and parts of the gills. There are seven finely branched gills on each side of the dorsum. They are a lighter colour than the mantle and tinged with pink or green. Grows to about 50m long. Feeds on the Hawaiian endemic soft coral Anthelia edmondsoni.

References:
• Kay, E.A. (1979) Hawaiian Marine Shells. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication 64(4): Honolulu
• Pease, W.H. (1860): Descriptions of new species of Mollusca from the Sandwich Islands. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 28: 18-36.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2002 (November 24) Marionia hawaiiensis (Pease, 1860). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/marihawa

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