Siphopteron tigrinum Gosliner, 1989
- Location
- Sunabe Water Treatment Plants, Okinawa Island (Chatan and Southern area), Okinawa, Japan
- Date
- 2015/04/23
- Length
- 3mm
- Depth
- 5.0m
- Water temperature
- 24.0℃
Description
A small gastropterid 3–4 mm in length. The ground color is brilliant orange, with narrow elongate blue patches outlined by a thin purplish-blue line on the head shield, visceral hump, and outer surfaces of the parapodia. A yellowish triangular patch is present on the dorsal surface of the foot. The apex of the siphon at the posterior end of the head shield, and the entire elongate conical posterior flagellum on the right side of the visceral hump, are black. A prominent medial crest within the siphon terminates in an elevated papilla. The simply plicate gill consists of 3 or 4 leaflets.Distribution
Type locality: Cement Mixer Reef, Madang, Papua New Guinea, 2 m depth. Widely distributed across the Indo-West Pacific, with records from Tulear (Madagascar), Queensland (Australia), Palau, the Philippines, and Japan.Etymology
Verbatim from the original description (Gosliner, 1989, p.357):The epithet tigrinum refers to the striped pattern of coloration, resembling that of a tiger.
Remarks
Originally described in Gosliner, T.M. 1989 The Veliger 32(4):333-381, where it was designated as the type species of the newly erected genus Siphopteron. In the genus diagnosis the author noted that the genus name "Siphopteron is named for the prominent siphonal crest and parapodial wings that characterize members of the genus" (p.340). In the Discussion of S. tigrinum, the author stated: "Siphopteron tigrinum is immediately distinguishable from other members of the Gastropteridae by its unique coloration. No other member of the family has orange coloration with blue, purple, and black ornamentation. It is similar to S. citrinum, S. nigromarginatum, S. fuscum, S. ladrones, and S. quadrispinosum sp. nov. in that it has an elongate flagellum on the right side of the body" (p.359). At Madang it is the most abundant gastropterid, found commonly on the under surface of coral rubble in shallow reefs, often co-occurring with Siphopteron nigromarginatum, Siphopteron brunneomarginatum, Siphopteron quadrispinosum, and Sagaminopteron psychedelicum. Swimming behavior has not been observed in this species.References
- Siphopteron tigrinum Gosliner, sp. nov., Gosliner T.M. (1989). Revision of the Gastropteridae (Opisthobranchia: Cephalaspidea) with descriptions of a new genus and six new species. The Veliger 32(4): 333-381.
- キマダラウミコチョウ（新称）, 小野篤司. (2000). ウミウシガイドブック. 第2版. TBSブリタニカ.
A Kindle field guide by the site author
Kimoto N. (2026). Sea Slugs of Japan & the Indo-Pacific, 2nd Edition.
Kindle Edition
View on Amazon PR (Amazon Associates)Seasonality
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Tag:
Same Genus Nudibranchs
Similar Colors Nudibranchs
Academic Database
Sea slug observation data is available in international marine biodiversity databases.