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Additional Photos
side
rhinophores
branchia
contracted
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Kalinga ornata Alder & Hancock, 1864
Maximum size: 100 mm (Kay
& Schoenberg-Dole, 1991).
Identification:
This
is
a
large, flattened species with a tuberculate notum. The larger
lateral tubercles are red, flecked with white and there are elongate
velar appendages at the front of the head that are used as feelers. Background color varies from cream to gray.
Natural history:
Kalinga ornata is
a sand dweller that has
been photographed from HURL submersibles to
depths of 182 m (597 ft). However, it may occasionally be found by divers in as
little as 10 m (33 ft). It can inflate its body and drift with
the current. (Sea
Slug
Forum) Mike Miller's Slug Site mentions
that Rie Nakano and her collaborators have recorded it feeding on
brittle stars in Tokyo Bay.
Distribution:
Big Island, Maui, Oahu and Molokai: widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific.
Taxonomic notes: It may have been first reported from Hawaii in Kay and Schoenberg-Dole, 1991.
Photo: Christy Coppolo: found by Lloyd Johnson; Makena Landing, Maui; Nov. 24, 2023.
Observations and comments:
Note
1: ( )
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