Thorunna punicea? from South Africa

March 19, 2007
From: Colin Ogden

Concerning message #19608:

Hi Bill,
I noticed on your reply to Richard Ling's message that you mentioned the high body profile of  Hypselodoris bullocki, and I have checked in all the books I have with pictures of H. bullocki and they all conform to that description. I have this picture taken quite a few years ago of what I have thought was a H. bullocki, but it is showing a very flattened body. Have I mistaken the identity, or is it doing something unusual?

Locality: Sodwana Bay, 19 metres, South Africa, Indian, july 2005, reef. Length: 20mm. Photographer: Colin Ogden.

Your comments would be greatly appreciated.
regards
Colin Ogden

scubaco@iafrica.com

Ogden C. M., 2007 (Mar 19) Thorunna punicea? from South Africa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19708

Dear Colin,

I am very pleased you decided to check up on this animal. I agree it is not H. bullocki, although the purple bases to the rhinophores and gills are reminiscent of that species. However I think your animal is a species with a similar colour pattern, Thorunna punicea, which is known at present only from New Caledonia. Unfortunately we know very little about the species, and the only known specimen had a purplish background colour. However in your photo there are traces of a purplish colouration on the inside edge of the opaque white mantle border. The only way to be sure would be to look at the anatomy of your South African animal. One other distinctive feature was that it 'wiggled' its gills from side to side as it crawled along. I don't suppose you would remember if it did that? However in your photo I get the impression the gills are in motion, so my best bet is that this is Thorunna punicea - or a close relative.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Mar 19). Comment on Thorunna punicea? from South Africa by Colin Ogden. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19708

Factsheet

Thorunna punicea

Related messages

  1. Thorunna punicea again [2]
    From: Colin Ogden, April 25, 2008
  2. Thorunna punicea again [1]
    From: Colin Ogden, April 25, 2008
  3. Re: Thorunna punicea? from South Africa
    From: Colin Ogden, March 22, 2007
  4. Re: Thorunna punicea? from South Africa
    From: Colin Ogden, March 21, 2007

Show factsheet and all related messages