First record of Trapania tartanella from the UK

September 24, 2008
From: David Kipling

Hi Bill

Sarah Bowen and I saw the animal in the attached photo on a MCS Manacles dive last year. Pity I didn't take some more from better angles, but am I right in thinking this isn't a simple Polycera and could be something like Ancula gibbosa?

Dive site: The wreck of the Spiridian Vagliano, Manacles, Cornwall. United Kingdom. Map ref: 50º02.8 N 05º 02.7 W.  23 Sept 2007. It was about 10 m west of the wreck on an area of boulders and rocky outcrops, at a depth of 15-19 m. Photo: David Kipling

Although I took the picture, we don't recall who spotted it ... sometimes Sarah spots nudis and I then take the picture! This was Habitat 3 of the Surveyor record and other species recorded on this habitat included leopard spot goby, Cliona celata, encrusting sponges, star ascidian, crater sponge, dead men's fingers, purse sponge, fan worms, and squat lobsters. That gives a feel for the sort of environment we were in.

All the best

David Kipling
School of Medicine
Cardiff University

kiplingd@cardiff.ac.uk

Kipling, D., 2008 (Sep 24) First record of Trapania tartanella from the UK. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21913

Hi David,
I've checked and I'm sure this nudibranch is Trapania tartanella. I've seen it in NW Spain (Galicia, Atlantic, 1978) and Sesimbra in Portugal, 2006. There is a similar species Trapania hispalensis, but it doesn't have the superficial orange pigment at the tips of the processes according to Juan Lucas Cervera. We'd really need to check the radula to be certain.

This is an interesting new record for the British Isles.

Best wishes,
Bernard E Picton

Bernard.Picton@nmni.com
http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/

 

Picton, B.E., 2008 (Sep 24). Comment on First record of Trapania tartanella from the UK by David Kipling . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21913

Factsheet

Trapania tartanella

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