Cuthona abronia
(MacFarland, 1966)
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Tergipedidae
DISTRIBUTION
East Pacific from Washington, USA to Baja California, Mexico (Behrens & Hermosillo, 2005).
PHOTO
Locality: Fitzgerald Marine Refuge, Moss Beach, San Mateo County, Mid-intertidal, California, USA, Pacific Ocean, 17 March 2007, Rocky tidepool in surgrass beds area. Length: 1.5 cm. Photographer: Ron Wolf.
This species has a characteristic pattern of cream white bands on the head tentacles and cerata. There is a dark purplish band about midway up the oral tenatcles and rhinophores. The ceratal digestive gland ranges from brown to green in colour except for the basal region which is often a reddish colour. There are some larger white spots on the body and a white band down the midline of the posterior foot. It grows to about 15 mm in length. Little is known of its biology.
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MacFarland, F. M. (1966). Studies of opisthobranchiate mollusks of the Pacific coast of North America. Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, 6: 1-546, pls. 1-72.
Rudman, W.B., 2007 (March 22) Cuthona abronia (MacFarland, 1966). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/cuthabro
