Trapania brunnea from New Zealand

July 13, 2004
From: Ross Armstrong

Dear Bill,
I found these two little nudibranchs close together in Taravana Cave at the Poor Knights [NE New Zealand}. They would have only been 3-4mm long at most. I am not sure if the white (assume) dead bryozoan in the picture was because it was feeding on it on not.
cheers
Ross

ross@oceanwildlife.com

Armstrong, R., 2004 (Jul 13) Trapania brunnea from New Zealand. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12579

Thanks Ross,
This is Trapania brunnea which has only been reported from New Zealand once before (Willan, 1989) - also from the Poor Knights.

It certainly looks like a species of Polycera, which certainly feed on arborescent bryozoans, but if you look carefully you will see it has two pairs of recurved tentacles - one pair flanking the gills, and the other the rhinophores. Species of Trapania are usually found associated with sponges but if you look at the previous messages on this page we know are pretty certain they feed on small stalked animals called entoprocts which are found attached to sponge colonies and other colonial organisms. Your photos are an interesting addition to our knowledge of this species
Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Jul 13). Comment on Trapania brunnea from New Zealand by Ross Armstrong. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/12579

Factsheet

Trapania brunnea

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