Sea Clown Triopha
Triopha catalinae (Cooper, 1863)
Description 2
Ground color translucent greyish-white, very large individuals may occasionally be quite greyish. Pallial ridge bears 4-9 slightly prolonged large orange tubercles which bear very small branches or tubercles. Dorsum, dorsal surface of tail, and sides of body bear a numbers of irregular, orange tubercles and blotches of various sizes. Margin of frontal veil bears 7-16 or more irregularly lobed, orange processes. Rhinophores bear 20-30 lamellae, the orange clavus is inclined slightly posteriorly. Branchial plumes 5, tripinnate, translucent greyish-white with orange tips. Labial tentacles auriform. The elongate, limaciform body distinguishes this species from Limacia cockerelli & from Limacia mcdonaldi both of which are doridiform, have elongate, rather clavate processes and also lack the frontal veil with irregularly lobed, orange processes. The orange tipped branchial plumes distinguish it from the much rarer Crimora coneja which has white branchial plumes and dark brown to black tipped dorsal processes.
Size 2
Typically about 30mm in length, but may exceed 150mm.
Geographic Range 2
Aleutian Islands, AK, to El Tomatal, Baja California, Mexico; Japan; South Korea.
Notes 2
Feeds on several species of erect bryozoans such as: Bugula mollis, Caulibugula ciliata, Cellaria mandibulata, Crisia sp., Dendrobeania sp., Filicrisia franciscana, Scrupocellaria spp., & Tricellaria sp.
References 2
CHICHVARKHIN, A. 2016. Shallow water sea slugs (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) from the northwestern coast of the Sea of Japan, north of Peter the Great Bay, Russia. PeerJ 4(e2774):1-42. DOI 10.7717/peerj.2774. PDF
FERREIRA, A. J. 1977. A review of the genus Triopha (Mollusca: Nudibranchia). The Veliger 19(4):387-402, 3 plates. PDF
MACFARLAND, F. M. 1966. Studies of opisthobranchiate mollusks of the Pacific coast of North America. Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences 6:1-546, pls. 1-72. PDF
McDONALD, G. R. 1983. A review of the nudibranchs of the California coast. Malacologia 24(1-2):114-276. PDF
NYBAKKEN, J. W., & J. EASTMAN. 1977. Food preference, food availability and resource partitioning in Triopha maculata and Triopha carpenteri (Opisthobranchia: Nudibranchia). The Veliger 19(3):279-289. PDF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF MARINE INVERTEBRATE TAXONOMISTS. 2018. A taxonomic listing of benthic macro- and megainvertebrates from infaunal & epibenthic monitoring and research programs in the southern California bight, edition 12, 1 July 2018, xviii + 167 pp. PDF
Synonyms 2
Triopha carpenteri (Stearns, 1873), Triopha modesta Bergh, 1880, Triopha scrippsiana Cockerell, 1915, Triopha elioti O'Donoghue, 1921.
Additional Info 2
Sources and Credits
- (c) Gary McDonald, all rights reserved, uploaded by Gary McDonald
- (c) Gary McDonald, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNat Map
| Rhinophores | perfoliate |
|---|---|
| Body | limaciform |
| Classification | Doridina |
| Dorsum | tuberculate |
| Labial tentacles | auriform |
