Hallaxa paulinae Gosliner & S. Johnson, 1994

Description

Body length 15-20 mm, round in outline. Background colour translucent white with numerous irregular patches forming a network of opaque white on the smooth notum. The gills are uniformly white. The rhinophores are white with a black subapical spot. They are conical (rather than bulbous) and bear only 4-5 lamellae. The branchial plume consists of 8-9 unipinnate leaflets. The foot is curved anteriorly with triangular, anteriorly directed corners. A small pit is present on either side of the mouth.

Distribution

Indonesia (Manado, Sulawesi).

Etymology

The specific epithet paulinae honours Pauline Fiene-Severns, who found the type material.

Remarks

Whitish-bodied Hallaxa paulinae resembles Hallaxa translucens and the white form of Hallaxa cryptica, but is unique in having small, conical rhinophores with only 4-5 lamellae (vs bulbous rhinophores with 6-9 lamellae in the other two species).

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References

• Hallaxa paulinae sp. nov., Gosliner T.M. & Johnson S. (1994). Review of the genus Hallaxa (Nudibranchia: Actinocyclidae) with descriptions of nine new species. The Veliger. 37(2): 155-191.
• クモガクレウミウシ（新称）, 小野篤司. (2004). 沖縄のウミウシ. ラトルズ.