Trapania scurra
Gosliner & Fahey, 2008

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Goniodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Known from the Phillippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

PHOTO

Upper right:  Anilao, Luzon Island, Philippines. Depth: 40 feet. Length: 5 mm. April, 2004. Photographer: Jeff Rosenfeld. Lower left:  CASIZ 103787. Radular morphology. Scale= 20 µm. Lower right: CASIZ 103787, Philippine Islands, 15 mm. Photo: T. Gosliner.

The background colour of the body is a translucent purple or lavender, deepening to an opaque blue on the head and posterior tip of the body/ foot. There are larger white rounded patches scattered in what appears to be a regular and symmetrical pattern on the body. There are 5 along the midline between the front of the head and the gills and three behind the gills. There are two on each side of the large patch just in front of the gills, and another one just behind each rhinophore. There are 2 or 3 along each side of the body and these appear to be slightly raised. Each white patch is edged with a thin dark - probably blue - line. The extra-branchial and extra-rhinophoral processes are opaque white with two translucent blusih or brownish bands and the gills and rhinophores are translucent clear with darker bluish-purple edging.

The living animal grows to at least 15 mm in length.

This species was known previously on the Forum as Trapania sp. 6.

  • Gosliner, T.M. & Fahey, S.H. (2008)  Systematics of Trapania (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Goniodorididae) with descriptions of 16 new species Systematics and Biodiversity, 6 (1): 53-98

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2008 (March 10) Trapania scurra Gosliner & Fahey, 2008. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/trapscur

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