Flabellina salmonacea
(Cuthouy, 1838)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Flabellinidae

DISTRIBUTION

Western Atlantic - Gulf of Maine north to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Greenland. Eastern Atlantic - from Iceland, Spitzbergen, nth coast of Norway, Arctic seas. North Pacific - from British Columbia, Canada.

PHOTO

New England, USA [Atlantic coast]. Photo: Paul Young.

Body translucent white, ceratal digestive gland orange to deep brown, subapical white band on cerata, oral tentacles and rhinophores with a white patch at the tip. Body broad, width exceeding height.

Found feeding and laying eggs on the colonial tunicate Amaroucium constellatum Verrill, 1871 from December to March. Small juveniles reported to feed on a variety of hydroids in late summer and early autumn, principally Tubularia. Adults also feed on Tubularia spectabilis. Grows to between 20-40 mm long.

Reference:
• Kuzirian, A.M. (1979) Taxonomy and biology of four New England coryphellid nudibranchs. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 45: 239-261.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (June 18) Flabellina salmonacea (Cuthouy, 1838). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/flabsalm

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