Trapania japonica? from the Japan Sea

December 22, 2000
From: Shigeru Hayashi

Dear Bill
I want to report the record of Trapania japonica from The Japan Sea but it lacks a decisive factor. Unfortunately the specimen died and distintegrated after photography. It was therefore not possible to dissect it and study the radula. Will it be possible to identify it as T. japonica from the photographs?

The collection data : Notojima, Toyama Bay; 1 specimen (14mm long alive), 29 October 2000.
Sincerely yours
S. Hayashi

jr9dsx@tko.fitweb.or.jp

Hayashi, S., 2000 (Dec 22) Trapania japonica? from the Japan Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3406

Dear Shigeru,
Thanks for the record of Trapania from Japan. I am afraid that it is not possible at this stage to confirm the identity of Trapania japonica from a photograph. It was described from a preserved animal (Baba, 1933) and on the basis of the quite distinct radula, I tentatively identified animals from Australia and Hong Kong as T. japonica. To confirm its identity it would be good to get a specimen from Mutsu Bay in Japan, or nearby, with a similar radula.

I suspect your animal is another species, Trapania toddi in which the brown spots are replaced by a brown reticulate pattern and the mantle processes are tipped with yellow rather than being completely yellow. The photo I have on the Forum of T. toddi is of a juvenile, but when I get a chance I will add a photo of an adult from Hong Kong which shows the yellow markings clearly.

The radula of T. toddi differs from T. japonica in having the cusp on the outer edge of the tooth rather than in the middle. Hopefully you will find some more specimens of this interesting animal.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2000 (Dec 22). Comment on Trapania japonica? from the Japan Sea by Shigeru Hayashi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3406

Factsheet

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