Tritoniid on gorgonian - Portugal

April 23, 2008
From: Joao Pedro Silva

Dear Bill,

The Portuguese Center of Underwater Activities (www.cpas.pt), a founding member of CMAS, has a group studying portuguese gorgonians. They made me look more carefully to gorgonian predators and so I found this tritoniid. Is it Marionia blainvillea or Tritonia nilsodhneri?
Although the individual is curled I expect it to be smaller than 1 cm.

Locality: Sesimbra, 10m, Portugal, North Atlantic, 20 September 2007, Rocky bottom. Length: less than 1cm. Photographer: Joao Pedro Silva.


Cheers,

Joao Pedro

jpsilva@uwphotographer.net

Silva, J. P., 2008 (Apr 23) Tritoniid on gorgonian - Portugal. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20799

Dear Joao Pedro,

I am afraid I can't see enough of the animal to even guess at its identity but it is apparently a species which feeds on gorgonians.  The only European tritoniids I know that feeds on gorgonians are the two you mention. The colour looks a bit unusual for both of them but from the bushy gills my guess is that it is a colour form of the Marionia - but hopefully a local expert will recognise it for us.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Apr 23). Comment on Tritoniid on gorgonian - Portugal by Joao Pedro Silva. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20799

Factsheet

Tritonia nilsodhneri

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