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Additional Photos
underside
side
heavily spotted
young, 5 mm
rolled
on tunicate
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Lamellaria(?) sp. #10
Maximum size: 18 mm.
Identification:
This
is
a
flattened,
translucent
species
with a finely papillate dorsal
surface. The dorsum is decorated with variably developed radiating bands
of
opaque-white and variably developed blood-red patches. The edges of
the patches often have a few contrasting white flecks and the papillae
are faintly
tipped
in violet-brown. In some animals dendritic brown lines are present in
the lateral red spots. There are a few variably developed, translucent
tubercles in the center of the dorsum.
Natural history:
We've only seen Lamellaria(?)
sp. #10 twice on Maui. The first was on a
waxy, white tunicate on which it was well camouflaged. It was under a
rock in
a highly protected rocky habitat at 3-5 m (10-16 ft). A second was under
a rock on a different species of tunicate at a moderately protected
site at a depth of around 4 m (14 ft). In contrast, it
appears to be fairly common in protected, rocky habitats on Oahu. Unlike
most other
Hawaiian velutinids, it temporarily roles it's mantle into a tube when
it's overturned.
.
Distribution:
Maui and Oahu: may also be found in the Marshall Islands.
Taxonomic notes:
It was first
recorded in Hawaii from Kahului Harbor, Maui by CP on April 8, 2010. (Note 1)
Photo: CP: 15
mm: Kahului Harbor, Maui; April 8, 2010.
Observations and comments:
Note
1: Originally, we tentatively assigned this species to Marsenina because of its superficial similarity to some photos of the west coast species, Marsenina stearnsii. However, it lacks the dorsal pore characteristic of that species.
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