Orange sea slug?

September 10, 2007
From: Aria Guy

I found this very spherical, very orange, very interesting animal this morning in Pacifica, California. I'm incredibly curious; what is it?

Locality: Pacifica, 2 cm above sea level, CA, USA, Pacific Ocean, 03 August 2007, Tide pool. Length: 1 cm. Photographer: Peter Gross.

Aria Guy

ariarachel@gmail.com

Guy, A., 2007 (Sep 10) Orange sea slug?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20393

Dear Aria,
Your critter is the phanerobranch dorid nudibranch Triopha maculata. If the animal was submerged, the orange areas would be erect branched dorsal papillations that run down the sides of this species. The light blue spots on the orange-brown body also give this species away.

Thanks,
Dave Behrens

Behrens, D.W., 2007 (Sep 10). Comment on Orange sea slug? by Aria Guy. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20393

Factsheet

Triopha maculata

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