Trapania lineata
Haefelfinger, 1960

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

DISTRIBUTION

Mediterranean

PHOTO

Date: Cerbere, France (Mediterranean coast), July 02, 2002, 15-20mm long. Photo: Marina Poddubetskaia

Body translucent white usually with a noticeable tinge of brown, (which is absent in the accompanying photo), with a pattern of thin opaque white longitudinally or diagonally arranged lines. Oral tentacles and tentacular foor corners, orange-yellow, and tips of dorso-lateral processes, rhinophores, gills, and 'tail' are similarly coloured. Reported to feed on Entoprocts (Cattaneo-Vietti et al., 1990. Atlas of Mediterranean Nudibranchs).

Reference:
• Haefelfinger, H-R. (1960) Neue und wenig bekannte Opisthobranchier der Gattungen Trapania und Caloria aus der Bucht von Villefranche-sur-mer (A.-M.). Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 67(2): 226-238.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2002 (August 4) Trapania lineata Haefelfinger, 1960. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/trapline

Related messages


Feeding record - Trapania lineata from Antibes, France

June 14, 2007
From: Dominique Horst


Concerning message #17030:

Dear Bill,

When I saw three Trapania lineata, I was surprised about their black colour. Usually they are transparent or light yellow... After looking at the picture, I've realized it's because they were eating the small black animals and this reminded me of your reply to my previous message about Trapania lineata [#17030 ].
I guess you will confirm, that these Trapania were feasting and stuffing themselves with Entoprocts.

Locality: Lerins Island, 25m, France, Mediterranean sea, 17 May 2007. Length: 3 mm. Photographer: Dominique HORST

Kind regards,
Dominique

dominique.horst@wanadoo.fr

Horst, D., 2007 (Jun 14) Feeding record - Trapania lineata from Antibes, France. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20000

Dear Dominique,
Thanks for this nice observation of its feeding behaviour and of how they can change colour. When you are transparent like this, its a bit hard to hide what you have been eating.

By coincidence, Lucas Cervera has kindly sent me a copy of a paper of work that Luis Sanchez Tocino and he have published on the diet of Trapania maculata and T. hispalensis. They report that both species feed on a kamptozoan [= entoproct] of the genus Loxosomella, which is a nice addition to David Abecasis's photos of T. hispalensis [#14717] apparently feeding on kamptozoans.

  • Tocino, L.S. & Cervera, J.L. (2006) Preliminary data on the diet of Trapania maculata Haefelfinger, 1960 and Trapania hispalensis Cervera and Garcia-Gomez, 1989 (Mollusca: Nudibranchia). Zool. baetica, 17: 85-89.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Jun 14). Comment on Feeding record - Trapania lineata from Antibes, France by Dominique Horst. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20000

Trapania lineata from Antibes, France

August 10, 2006
From: Dominique Horst

Dear Bill,
Another slug on my way today. It should be Trapania lineata. It was feeding the sponge Reniera fulva may be? Would you have any information about their food ? Could it be this sponge ?

Locality: Cap d'Antibes, 13m, France, Mediterranean sea, 29 June 2006, vertical rock. Length: 3mm. Photographer: Dominique Horst.

It is so small that I've found it by chance. If this sponge is possibly their food, then I will watch them with more attention.

Many thanks in advance,
Kind regards,
Dominique

dominique.horst@wanadoo.fr

Horst, D., 2006 (Aug 10) Trapania lineata from Antibes, France. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17030

Dear Dominique,

Thanks for the photos. We thought for a long time that species of Trapania fed on the sponges they were so often associated with, but thanks to a lot of input from Forum participants, we now know better.

They feed on small stalked animals called Entoprocts [or Kamptozoa] which seem to live in association with some sponges. See good photos of this can be seen in Bernard Picton's earlier message [#3767].

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Aug 10). Comment on Trapania lineata from Antibes, France by Dominique Horst. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/17030

Mating Trapania lineata

October 5, 2003
From: Anne DuPont

Dear Bill,

While I was attending the "Sea Slug Training Course" in Cerbere, France, in July, I photographed this pair of Trapania lineata mating. They were about one-half inch long, and I photographed them in about 30 feet of water. I thought you would be interested in seeing this.

Cordially,
Anne DuPont,
Delray Beach, Fl., USA

akdupont@bellsouth.net

DuPont, A., 2003 (Oct 5) Mating Trapania lineata. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11127

Thanks Anne,
I'm always interested in photos of these animals 'doing things' - feeding, breeding etc etc
Best wishes
Bill Rudman


Trapania lineata from Turkey

October 11, 2002
From: Baki Yokes

Dear Bill,
Here is a photo of Trapania lineata from Turkey, pictured by Adnan Buyuk. This species is rarely observed around Turkish coasts.

Photo: Adnan Buyuk ado2000tr@yahoo.com
Date:15 July 2002
Place: Antalya, Turkey
Divesite: Uc Adalar
Depth: 12m
Size: around 1,5cm

Best wishes
Baki

bakiyokes@turk.net

Yokes, B., 2002 (Oct 11) Trapania lineata from Turkey. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8149

Dear Baki,
Thanks for this record. As is usual for species of Trapania I see this animal was photographed on a sponge - no doubt because the entoprocts it feeds on are often found in association with sponges
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Oct 11). Comment on Trapania lineata from Turkey by Baki Yokes. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8149

Trapania lineata from French Mediterranean

August 5, 2002
From: Marina Poddubetskaia

Dear Bill,
Here is a photo of Trapania lineata.
Date: July 02, 2002
Location: Cerbere, France (Mediterranean coast)
Site: Cap Negre
Size: 15-20mm
Photos: Marina Poddubetskaia - Nembro website

Best wishes,
Marina.

nembro@nembro.info

Poddubetskaia, M., 2002 (Aug 5) Trapania lineata from French Mediterranean. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7592

Thanks Marina,
Nice to be able to add one of the few Trapania species missing from the Forum.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.