Trapania tartanella
(Ihering, 1886)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Goniodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Mediterranean & nearby Atlantic coast

PHOTO

Isla Onza, Galicia, Spain - July 1978. Photo: Bernard Picton.

Note added 20 Sept 2007: This species and T. hispalensis are very difficult to distinguish externally and it is possible some identifications on the Forum are incorrect. See message #20698.

The body is translucent white with the brownish viscera showing through. The upper two-thirds of the oral tentacles, extra-branchial and extra-rhinophoral processes are yellow-orange, as are the rhinophore clubs. Usually the tips are a darker colour than the rest of the coloured regions. The white gills are also edged in yellow-orange. The radular teeth, as described by Ihering, are very similar in shape to those of Trapania fusca, with approx 17 small equal sized denticles and one outer denticle about 4 times as long.

  • von Ihering, H. (1886). Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Nudibranchien des Mittelmeeres, 2. 4, Die Polyceraden. Malakozool. Blatt. NF. 8: 12-48
  • Ortea, J. A., Quero, A., Rodriguez, G., and Valdés, A. (1989) Redescripcion de Trapania tartanella (Ihering, 1886) (Mollusca: Nudibranchia). Bollettino Malacologico, 25: 241-246.
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (February 10) Trapania tartanella (Ihering, 1886). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/traptart

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  3. Re: First record of Trapania tartanella from the UK
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  4. First record of Trapania tartanella from the UK
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  5. Re: Trapania tartanella and T. hispalensis
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  8. Trapania tartanella from Portugal
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  9. More Trapania food!!
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  10. Trapania tartanella from Spain
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