Tritoniid from Victoria, Australia
May 1, 2001
From: John Chuk
Dear Bill,
Once again I call on your help to identify a nudibranch. This one was found on 17 January 2001 during a night dive at Mornington Pier, Victoria, Australia. It was one of two specimens of the same species found close together on a pier pylon at 7m depth. The specimens were both 13mm in length and were very well camouflaged.
The specimen has palmate rhinophores with large sheaths. A trident-like structure is visible on the tip of a rhinophore in one of the photo's. There are irregular cerata-like projections arising from the notal margin. The oral veil is prominent with a smooth anterior margin that could be rolled into oral tentacle-like structures.
I suspect that this animal is a tritoniid but am unable to find much information on southern Australian tritoniids. Any help would be most appreciated. Many thanks for your past help and for all the effort you put into the Sea Slug Forum.
John Chuk
jchuk@giant.net.au
Chuk, J., 2001 (May 1) Tritoniid from Victoria, Australia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3969Dear John,
This could be what Bob Burn (1962) identified as Paratritonia lutea Baba 1949 but I am not sure if it is the same as either Burn's or Baba's animals. It is certainly well camouflaged.
I suspect it hasn't got a name. I'm afraid that unless someone can suggest an identification we will have to temporarily label it Tritoniid sp. 6.
Burn, R.F. (1962) Descriptions of Victorian nudibranchiate mollusca, with a comprehensive review of the Eolidacea. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, 25: 95-128.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
