Thorunna daniellae
(Kay & Young, 1969)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Chromodorididae

DISTRIBUTION

Known from Hawaii and eastern Australia so probably a wide western Pacific distribution. Records in Forum from both sides of the Indian Ocean as well.

PHOTO

UPPER: Juvenile specimen 6mm long alive, with proportionally larger rhinophore clubs. Coffs Harbour Region, New South Wales, Australia, December 1990.
LOWER: Koumac, northern New Caledonia, 15mm long alive, October 1993. [left photo showing closeup of anterior and posterior mantle edge to show absence of mantle glands].
PHOTOS: Bill Rudman.

The elongate mantle has a relatively narrow mantle overlap and the relatively high body and foot extend to a tapering point some distance behind the posterior end of the mantle. The simple gills are arranged in a circle around the anal papilla and wave rhythmically. The mantle is white with a submarginal band of purple. The foot is translucent white with a purple, somewhat diffuse, submarginal band at the posterior end. The rhinophore stalk and the inner core of the club are translucent orange and the lamellae are bright orange. The gills are translucent white but the vessel at the edge of each gill, and the edge of the lamellae, are orange. It appears that this species lacks mantle glands - compare with Thorunna kahuna.

See Radular morphology.

References:
• Kay E.A., & Youmg, D.K. (1969) The Doridacea (Opisthobranchia Mollusca) of the Hawaiian Islands. Pacific Science, 23(2): 18-37.
• Rudman, W.B. (1984) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: a review of the genera. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 81: 115-273.
• Rudman, W.B. (1990) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: further species of Glossodoris, Thorunna and the Chromodoris aureomarginata colour group. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 100(3): 263-326.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (October 4) Thorunna daniellae (Kay & Young, 1969). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/thordani

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