Trapania sp. from the Maldives

February 9, 2001
From: John Chuk

Note added 12 March 2008: This species has been named Trapania naeva.

Dear Bill,
I seek your help to identify this nudibranch which I photographed on a dive at Kudiboli Tilla in the Maldives on 21/9/93. Two photo's are attached, both are in situ shots.

The specimen is approximately 15mm in length. It is white with black spots. The gills are black and are positioned about midway along the body. The rhinophores are lamellate, black in colour, with no sign of sheaths. A pair of short, white, oral tentacles were observed. A pair of black papillae arise from the front margin and point forward. Another pair of black papillae are found lateral to the rhinophores. A further pair of large papillae are positioned laterally and slightly posterior to the gills. These larger papillae are white in the bottom half and black in the top half. The specimen was found moving over a green-brown sponge at a depth of 21m. There was no evidence of it feeding on the sponge.

I suspect it is a member of the subfamily Polycerinae but that is as close as I can go. Any further information would be appeciated!
John

jchuk@giant.net.au

Chuk, J., 2001 (Feb 9) Trapania sp. from the Maldives. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3666

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