Tritoniid from South Africa

June 27, 2002
From: Valda Fraser


Dear Bill
I was beside myself with delight when my friend Martin Wallace swam over to give me this animal. Must be a Bornella because of the way it swims and looks. Can you help with identification? Thanks.
Locality: Pumula, south coast KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, 30 m
Date: February 2002
Size: 55 mm

Regards
Valda Fraser

valdafraser@mweb.co.za

Fraser, V., 2002 (Jun 27) Tritoniid from South Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6314

Dear Valda,
Its oral veil - with branching outgrowths along the edge, and the finely branching gills along the side of the body, suggest that this is a tritoniid rather than a bornellid. They are of course quite closely related families, so have general shape in common. Many tritoniids also swim by lateral flexion of the body like species of Bornella. I think this is the species which you sent me a photo of a juvenile previously and which I am calling tritoniid sp. 5. The prominent blue spots are quite distinctive. It is most probably a species of Marionia.
Cheers,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Jun 27). Comment on Tritoniid from South Africa by Valda Fraser. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6314

Factsheet

Tritoniid sp. 5

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