Sclerodoris tanya
(Marcus, 1971)
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: EUDORIDOIDEA
Family: Dorididae
DISTRIBUTION
Known from Gulf Of California, outer coast of Baja California to southern California, USA. Reported here from Panama
PHOTO
Coiba National Park, Panama, approx 15ft deep (Pacific Coast). 22, 17 mm long. May 2003. Photos: Alicia Hermosillo
The mantle is mottled brown with darker spots and pitted regions, mimicking the oscula in sponges. All over the mantle are raised tubercles bearing small papillae. Found intertidally and in shallow sublittoral on rocky shores where it can grow to about 50mm.
References:
• Behrens, D. (1991) Pacific Coast Nudibranchs Sea Challengers: Monterey. 107pp.
• Marcus, E. (1971) On some euthyneuran gastropods from the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London, 39: 355-369.
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (June 10) Sclerodoris tanya (Marcus, 1971). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/scletany