Trapania maculata from Spain
April 26, 2001
From: Miquel Pontes
Hi Bill,
We recently found a Trapania maculata, a species that we have not seen before in over 200 dives in the Costa Brava of Spain. Of course we may have not looking the proper place to find it.... Anyway, despite the identification seems to be clear, we would like to know the etymology of the genus name "Trapania". Our guess is that it is related to the Italian town of Trapani but we're not sure of this point. Maybe you can help us on this.
By the way, All three pictures were shot by Albert Ollé at a depth of 11,5 meters in a place called Cala Rovellada, in the village of Colera, near the Mediterranean Spanish-French border. More details (in Spanish) at the following URL: http://marenostrum.org/opistobranquios/tmaculata
Thank you
Miquel Pontes
mpontes@marenostrum.org
Pontes, M., 2001 (Apr 26) Trapania maculata from Spain. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4232
Dear Miquel,
Thanks for the photos. It is certainly nice to find something for the first time. Concerning the origin of the word Trapania. The name was introduced by Pruvot-Fol (June, 1931) as a replacement name for Drepania Lafont, 1874 which was already in use for an insect. By strange coincidence Macfarland published another replacement name (Drepanida) only a month later.
When I was in Sicily for the Menfi Workshop I wondered whether the Sicilian town of Trapani was the origin of the name Trapania, but I could find no connection. The type species of Drepania, and its replacment names, is Trapania fusca. It was originally found at Arcachon in France, so if there is a connection with Sicily I would be interested in hearing of it. Unfortunately Pruvot-Fol does not give a reason for the new name Trapania so I can only assume it was made up to sound similar to Drepania.
• Rudman, W.B. (1987) The genus Trapania (Nudibranchia: Goniodorididae) in the Indo-West Pacific. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 53: 189-212.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
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