Thuridilla vatae
(Risbec, 1928)

Order: SACOGLOSSA
Superfamily: ELYSIOIDEA
Family: Elysiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Indo-West Pacific.

PHOTO

Espiritu Santo Is., Vanuatu, 1997. Low tide in 30cm water. 0.9cm long. PHOTO: Vinka Stenhouse.

References:
• Jensen, K.R. (1992). Anatomy of some Indo-Pacific Elysiidae (Opisthobranchia: Sacoglossa [=Ascoglossa]), with a discussion of the generic division and phylogeny. Mal. Soc. London, 58: 257-96.
•Gosliner, T.M. (1995) The genus Thuridilla (Opisthobranchia: Elysiidae) from the tropical Indo-Pacific, with a revision of the phylogeny and systematics of the Elysiidae. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 49(1): 1-54.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (February 17) Thuridilla vatae (Risbec, 1928). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/thurvata

Related messages


Thuridilla vatae from Reunion Island

February 7, 2008
From: Hugues Flodrops

Concerning message #20597:

Dear Bill, Gary,and nudibranch fanatics,
One year after Gary found Thuridilla vatae, I found it at Reunion Island (another ocean) - the first Thuridilla vatae.

It's seems to be a T. vatae but the majority of the rhinophores are red/orange rather than white like Thuridilla albopustulosa. A present for Christmas, near a Thuridilla endemic to the Indian Ocean called T. virgata [see message #21323].

Locality: Pool of Grande Anse, 1 metre, Reunion Island, Indian Ocean, 25 December 2007, Muddy and Night. Length: 20 mm. Photographer: Hugues Flodrops.

Best regards.
Hugues.

hugues.flodrops@wanadoo.fr

Flodrops, H., 2008 (Feb 7) Thuridilla vatae from Reunion Island. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21346

Dear Hugues,

It's nice to have a photo of an Indian Ocean example of T. vatae. In Gosliner's 1995 revision of the genus he records this species from both Reunion Island and South Africa. I think the reason the rhinophores seem too orange in your photo is that the rhinophores are somewhat retracted so the orange band at the tip seems proportionally larger than usual.

  • Gosliner, T.M. (1995) The genus Thuridilla (Opisthobranchia: Elysiidae) from the tropical Indo-Pacific, with a revision of the phylogeny and systematics of the Elysiidae. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 49(1): 1-54.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Feb 7). Comment on Thuridilla vatae from Reunion Island by Hugues Flodrops. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21346

Thuridilla vatae found sthn Queensland

September 5, 2007
From: Gary Cobb

Hi Bill and the rest of the nudibranch fanatics!
Well while we are on the subject of Thuridilla... I thought I would send you our first Thuridilla from here, T. vatae. As was the case, when we first found it we thought it was another common species until Richard Willan identified it for us. I am please to announce as you probably now know this animal was also found at Old Woman Island!

Locality: Old Woman Island, Sunshine Coast, 12 m, Queensland, Australia, Pacific Ocean, 16 December 2006, Subtidal. Length: 28 mm. Photographer: Gary Cobb.

Cheers,
Gary Cobb

gary@nudibranch.com.au

Cobb, G.C., 2007 (Sep 5) Thuridilla vatae found sthn Queensland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20597

Thanks Gary,

Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Sep 5). Comment on Thuridilla vatae found sthn Queensland by Gary Cobb. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20597

Thuridilla vatae and egg ribbon

July 11, 2002
From: Scott Johnson

Hi Bill,
Here is Thuridilla vatae with an egg mass. This was a common species in the early 1980s at Enewetak Atoll, where this photo was taken. I have seen only a couple of specimens at Kwajalein over the past 14 years, and Kwaj is only about 550 km southwest of Enewetak.
Scott

johnson@kmr.ll.mit.edu

Johnson, S., 2002 (Jul 11) Thuridilla vatae and egg ribbon. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7434

Thanks Scott,
Is it very common to find a sacoglossan with an orange coloured egg mass? Most I can recall are white or in a few instances, yellow.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Thuridilla vatae from Vanuatu

February 18, 2000
From: Vinka Stenhouse

Dear Bill,


This one is from, Espiritu Santo Is., Vanuatu, 1997. It was found at Low tide in 30cm water, 0.9cm long.

Yours sincerely,
Vinka Stenhouse.

Santo.
Vanuatu.

Dear Vinka,
This is another species of the colourful elysiid genus Thuridilla. It is Thuridilla vatae and when I get time I will post some more photos of it from New Caledonia where Risbec first found it.

Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2000 (Feb 18). Comment on Thuridilla vatae from Vanuatu by Vinka Stenhouse. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1576