Trapania darvelli Rudman, 1987

Description

Body opaque white. The oral tentacles and the upper two-thirds of all four lateral processes are dark brown. Rhinophore stalk translucent white; lamellae of the club edged with dark brown, and a distinct dark brown band runs just below the translucent white tip of the club. Gills translucent white with brown edging. Reaches 13 mm in body length.

Distribution

Type locality: Cock's Head Rock, Hong Kong. Originally known only from Hong Kong; subsequent records suggest a wider western Pacific distribution, although confirmation is desirable given the close resemblance to congeners.

Etymology

The specific epithet darvelli honours Dr B.W. Darvell of the University of Hong Kong, who assembled a large collection of Hong Kong nudibranchs (with accompanying photographs) donated to the Australian Museum.

Remarks

Unique among congeners in having brown pigmentation on the body appendages while the body itself remains white — no other Trapania has this colour combination. The colour pattern allows immediate external identification.

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References

• トラパニア・ダーベルイ, 小野篤司. (2004). 沖縄のウミウシ. ラトルズ.
• Trapania darvelli, Terrence Gosliner, Ángel Valdés and David Behrens. (2015). Nudibranch and Sea Slug Identification Indo-Pacific. New World Pubns Inc.
• ダーベルウミウシ(新称), 中野理枝, 朝倉知子, 池田紫, 石川雅教, 今本淳, 岩瀬南美, 西田和記, 堀江諒, 山田久子 & 渡井久美. (2017). 奄美大島北部海域における後鰓類相の調査報告. Kuroshio Biosphere. 13: 1-18 + 6 pls.
• Smirnoff D.S., Donohoo S.A. & Gosliner T.M. (2022). Extra-branchial processes manifest extra diversity: systematics of the genus Trapania (Nudibranchia: Goniodorididae) and nine new species descriptions. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 196(1): 270-313. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac009
• Paz-Sedano S., Moles J., Smirnoff D., Gosliner T.M. & Pola M. (2024). A combined phylogenetic strategy illuminates the evolution of Goniodorididae nudibranchs (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Heterobranchia). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 192: 107990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107990