Trapania dalva
Marcus, 1972

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

DISTRIBUTION

Known only from Florida, and the Bahamas.

PHOTO

UPPER: Marcus, 1972: Figs 23-26 - original description.
LOWER: off Deerfield Beach, Florida, depth of about 40 feet. October, 2002. Photo: Judy Townsend.

This species was described from a single preserved specimen collected at Miami, Florida. The only colour information noted was 'The color was cream with white bosses and brownish blotches'. From the line drawing Fig 23 [copied above] of the preserved animal it appears that the brown areas [shaded in drawing] are quite extensive and the cream region forms a distinctive symmetrical pattern very similar to that shown in Linda Ianniello's and Judy Townsend's photos from Florida.

If these photos do prove to be Trapania dalva then its colour would best be described as dark brown with a symmetrical pattern of cream white blotches down the dorsal midline and a pair of diagonal lines running from the midline in front of the gills to the outside of the rhinophore pocket. The brown region is spotted with orange yellow, with white spots also being present down the sides of the body.

Reference:
• Marcus, Ev., 1972. On some Opisthobranchs from Florida. Bulletin of Marine Science, 22(2): 284-308.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2002 (March 4) Trapania dalva Marcus, 1972. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/trapdalv

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