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Additional Photos
underside
dark
pale
few papillae
reduced pitting
smooth
young
egg mass
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GALLERY
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Thordisa albomacula Chan & Gosliner,
2007
Maximum size: 30 mm.
Identification:
This
dorid has a notum covered with a network of granular ridges as well as
tentacular papillae. Both features are variably developed. When the
ridges are strongly developed the spaces between them appear as dusky
pits. Color ranges from cream to dusky-violet and reddish-brown with
variable amounts of white flecking. Nearly all animals have a short
white band extending forward
from the branchia and the rhinophores are reddish-brown to dark brown,
variably tipped with cream
markings. Young animals are typically smoother and may have marginal
white spots. The branchia are light brown variably frosted with cream and the underside is marked with diffuse brown spots.
Natural history:
Thordisa albomacula
is a moderately common species found in the low intertidal and subtidally
to about 1.5 m (5 ft) at protected to moderately exposed rocky sites.
Rarely, it occurs in Halimeda kanaloana beds at about 6 to 9 m (20 to 30 ft). Egg masses range from orange to pink (perhaps, depending on diet?)
and hatch in four to five days in the laboratory.
Distribution:
Big Island, Maui, Kauai, Niihau and Midway: widely distributed in the western & central
Pacific.
Taxonomic notes:
It
was first recorded in Hawaii from Hekili Point, Maui by CP on May 5,
1993. Given the amount of variation, there's some chance that we may be
lumping more than one species under the name.
Photo: Terry
Gosliner: tentacular papillae retracted: Midway; June, 1993.
Observations and comments:
Note
1: ( )
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