Trapania vitta? from the Philippines

March 14, 2008
From: Erwin Koehler

Dear Bill,

Here is one more picture from the Philippine Islands.

Siquijor Island, divesite "Paliton Wall", Philippine Islands. Length: 11mm. Depth: 8 m. 08 March 2003

Cheers,
Erwin

Erwin@medslugs.de

Koehler, E., 2008 (Mar 14) Trapania vitta? from the Philippines. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9599

Dear Erwin
This is another message from a few years ago. As I discuss separately [message #21438] I have some difficulty distinguishing T. aurata and T. vitta. The absence of orange on the extra-rhinophoral and extra-branchial processes seems to fit the description of T. vitta, but if there are two species, then the general body shape and relatively fine orange markings on the rhinophores and gills would suggest T. aurata.

In my earlier discussion I should have mentioned Trapania sp. 8. Is it just another colour form of one species? It has orange rhinophores, oral tentacles, tentacular foot corners, extra-rhinophoral and extra-branchial processes and a large orange line on the posterior tip of the foot. The gills are white. The orange on the extra-rhinophoral and extra-branchial processes differs from what we see in T. aurata in that the orange pigment covers the whole of the process, not just a dorsal line.

Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Mar 14). Comment on Trapania vitta? from the Philippines by Erwin Koehler. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9599

Factsheet

Trapania vitta

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