Thorunna florens for sthn Queensland

May 6, 2008
From: Bruce Wilkie


Hi Bill,
I have had this animal on file for quite some time and I have not been able to ID it. Can you help?

Locality: Manta Bommie, Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island, 8 metres, Queensland Australia, Pacific ocean, , rocky reef with sponges, hard & soft corals.Upper Photos:  04 December 2005 Length: 15 mm. Lower Photo: 31 December 2005, Depth 10 m. Photographer: Bruce Wilkie.

Many Thanks,
Bruce Wilkie.

brucedwilkie@yahoo.com.au

Wilkie,B, 2008 (May 6) Thorunna florens for sthn Queensland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19027

Note added 11 July 2008: This seems to be an extreme colour form of Noumea alboannulata [see message #21562].

Dear Bruce,

This has some similarities to the southern Australian species Digidentis perplexa but I am pretty sure it is one of the colour forms of Thorunna florens. The purple submarginal border and the double line of orange are characteristic of the species. Both lines can be broken, or even reduced to a row of spots. Some specimens have an orange patch in the anterior midline of the mantle and some don't. It is possible there is more than on species in this complex but few specimens are available for anatomical study and there seems to be few internal differences in the anatomy.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (May 6). Comment on Thorunna florens for sthn Queensland by Bruce Wilkie. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19027

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