Verconia haliclona (Burn, 1957)

Description

A small chromodorid reaching about 15 mm in length. Body colour bright pink. The mantle margin is edged in white, with a second interrupted white row inside it; the dorsum is minutely speckled with red. The rhinophores are large and bear 8-9 yellowish-pink laminae. Eight to nine pinnate gills, also pale pink. The species lives in association with a pink Haliclona sponge, from which the species name is taken.

Distribution

Southeast Australia. The type locality is Portarlington, Victoria.

Etymology

The specific epithet haliclona is taken in apposition from the genus name of the host sponge Haliclona (Greek halos, "sea, salt", + klōn, "twig, branch"), on which the original specimens were found.

Remarks

The association with a pink Haliclona sponge matches the bright pink body colour and likely contributes to crypsis against the host.

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References

• Glossodoris haliclona, Burn R. (1957). On some Opisthobranchia from Victoria. Journal of the Malacological Society of Australia, 1(1): 11-29, pls. 1-3.
• Verconia haliclona, Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012). Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: a molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479.