Tritoniopsis elegans
(Audouin, 1826)
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DENDRONOTINA
Family: Tritoniidae
DISTRIBUTION
Indo-West Pacific.
PHOTO
UPPER: Adult animal aproximately 50mm long, Coffs Harbour region, New South Wales, Australia, October 1990.
LOWER: Juvenile animal, approx 20mm long, Solitary Is, Coffs Harbour Region, New South Wales, October 1990. Inset showing characteristic tritoniid rhinophoral tentacles). PHOTOS: Bill Rudman.
This is a widespread Indo-West Pacific species reported from the Red Sea, Japan and eastern Australia. I have further records from New Caledonia and Tanzania. All specimens have a pattern of opaque white patches, what differs is that in some specimens the background color is translucent clear (as illustrated here), while in others it is a translucent or opaque orange or orange-red. This colour difference does not appear to be food-related for both colour forms can be found together on the same colony of the soft-coral, Lobophyton, on which they feed. The white colour form was described from Japan as Tritoniopsilla alba Baba, 1949 but both colour forms can be found together throughout the species range.
Reference:
• Audouin, V. (1826). Explication sommaire des planches de Mollusques de l'Egypte et de Syrie publiees par J.C. Savigny. Description de l'Egypte ou recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Egypte pendant l'expedition de l'armée françaises, publie par les ordres de sa majeste l'empereur Napoleon le grand. Histoire Naturelle, Animaux invertebres, 1(4): 7-56. Imprimiere imperiale: Paris.
Rudman, W.B., 1999 (January 4) Tritoniopsis elegans (Audouin, 1826). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/triteleg
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