Diacria trispinosa (Blainville, 1821)

Description

A small shelled pteropod (family Cavoliniidae). Shell length 4–6 mm, rarely up to 7 mm. The shell is transparent to translucent, glassy, with brown to reddish-brown speckling that develops with growth. The species is fully pelagic, swimming by flapping its wing-like parapodia.

Distribution

Originally described from material taken on a tropical voyage. Subsequently recorded across the world's warm waters, broadly between roughly 30°N and 30°S. The species undergoes diel vertical migration.

Etymology

The specific epithet trispinosa combines the Latin tres ("three") and spinosus ("spiny"), in reference to the three spine-like processes of the shell.

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References

• Hyalaea trispinosa, Blainville H.M.D. de (1821). Hyale, Hyalæa. Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles. 22. Levrault, Strasbourg & Le Normant, Paris.
• Diacria trispinosa, Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2015). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific. New World Pubns Inc.