Triopha maculata

Taxobox
name = "Triopha maculata"


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclass = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Heterobranchia
ordo = Nudibranchia
subordo = Doridina
superfamilia = Polyceroidea
familia = Polyceridae
genus = "Triopha"
species = "T. maculata"
binomial = "Triopha maculata"
binomial_authority = MacFarland, 1905

"Triopha maculata", common name "speckled triopha", is a species of colorful sea slug, a nudibranch, a shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. This species is very variable in color.

Distribution

This nudibranch lives in the eastern Pacific Ocean, from Vancouver, Canada, to Baja California, Mexico. It also lives in Japan.

Description

"Triopha maculata" can sometimes (rarely) grow as large as 180 mm, or a little more than 7 inches, but usually the maximum length is 50 mm or about 2 inches.

The color can be a very pale and translucent yellow, or it can be a darker yellow, orange, or red and even dark brown. There are always raised whitish spots, hence the name "maculata".

Life habits

This species feeds on bryozoans.

References

Books

Behrens, D.W., 1980, "Pacific Coast Nudibranchs: a guide to the opisthobranchs of the northeastern Pacific", Sea Challenger Books, Washington.

External links

* Sea Slug Forum: [http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=triomacu]