Triopha maculata (?) from Southern California

June 15, 2006
From: Barbara J. Lloyd

Is this a Triopha maculata? Note the rhinophores. I looked at the other postings and I could not see the rhinophores well enough to compare them. I didn't even notice the spot on it until I was able to view it in a full screen.

If you look closely at the photo, it does show the characteristics 4 - 6 processes along the lateral ridge between the rhinophores and gill. I didn't have a picture which would confirm the frontal veil processes.

Locality: La Jolla Shores, 18.3 meters, La Jolla, CA, Eastern Pacific, 08 June 2006, Canyon wall between sandy zones. Length: 5 - 7 cm. Photographer: Barbara J. Lloyd.

Barbara J. Lloyd

barbara.lloyd@gmail.com

Lloyd, B.J., 2006 (Jun 15) Triopha maculata (?) from Southern California. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16852

Hi Barbara,

Yes indeed this is Triopha maculata, the deep reddish-brown kelp canopy variation.  For some reason your critter is just really, really pale.  The uniform blue spots are a give away.

A couple dozen years ago, Branchologists felt that there were two separate species (a yellow form and an orange form - both of which were alway very small -, and the large brownish-red form).  The yellow and orange forms were referred to as Triopha grandis and the brown, Triopha macualta.  All have the blue spots if you look carefully.  Subsequent careful examination of the internal anatomy shows all three colors to be different ages of the same species.

Thanks
Dave Behrens

Behrens, D.W., 2006 (Jun 15). Comment on Triopha maculata (?) from Southern California by Barbara J. Lloyd. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16852

Factsheet

Triopha maculata

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