Trapania caerulea

Trapania caerulea is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.[2]

Trapania caerulea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Euctenidiacea
clade Doridacea
Superfamily:
Onchidoridoidea
Family:
Goniodorididae
Genus:
Trapania
Species:
T. caerulea
Binomial name
Trapania caerulea
Gosliner & Fahey, 2008[1]

Distribution

This species was first described from Bali, Indonesia.[3]

Description

This goniodorid nudibranch is translucent blue in colour, mostly obscured by opaque white surface pigment. The gills and rhinophores are brown. There are two thin brown lines running from behind the rhinophores to the sides of the body where they follow the mantle edge and join behind the gills.[3]

Ecology

Trapania caerulea probably feeds on Entoprocta which often grow on sponges and other living substrata.

References
  1. Gosliner, T.M. & Fahey, S.H. (2008) Systematics of Trapania (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Goniodorididae) with descriptions of 16 new species Systematics and Biodiversity, 6 (1): 53-98
  2. Bouchet, P. (2015). Trapania caerulea. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-17
  3. Rudman, W.B., 2008 (March 10) Trapania caerulea Gosliner & Fahey, 2008. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
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