Triopha maculata

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Triopha maculata
Triopha maculata 3.jpg
Triopha maculata 2.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Polyceroidea
Family: Polyceridae
Genus: Triopha
Species:
T. maculata
Binomial name
Triopha maculata
MacFarland, 1905
Triopha maculata ADULT with egg mass on giant kelp (Morro Bay, California) Triopha maculata ADULT with egg mass on giant kelp (Morro Bay, California).jpg
Triopha maculata ADULT with egg mass on giant kelp (Morro Bay, California)

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

Contents

Distribution

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

Description

Triopha maculata can, on rare occasions, grow as large as 180 mm (a little more than 7 inches) but usually the maximum length is 50 mm (about 2 inches.)

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

Life habits

This species feeds on bryozoans.

Related Research Articles

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Nudibranchs are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs that shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames to match, such as "clown", "marigold", "splendid", "dancer", "dragon", and "sea rabbit". Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known.

<i>Aplysia</i> Genus of sea slugs

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<i>Acanthodoris lutea</i> Species of gastropod

Acanthodoris lutea, the orange-peel doris, is a species of nudibranch or sea slug, a shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Onchidorididae.

<i>Chelidonura hirundinina</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Triopha catalinae</i> Species of gastropod

Triopha catalinae, commonly known as the sea clown triopha or sea clown, is a species of colorful sea slug called a nudibranch. Sea clowns are a shell-less marine, gastronomic mollusk in the taxonomic family Polyceridae.

<i>Diaulula sandiegensis</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Doriopsilla albopunctata</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Peltodoris nobilis</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Doto amyra</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Geitodoris heathi</i> Species of gastropod

Geitodoris heathi, common name "Heath's dorid", is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Dorididae.

<i>Nembrotha chamberlaini</i> Species of mollusc

Nembrotha chamberlaini is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. It was first described in 1997.

<i>Cadlina flavomaculata</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Cadlina laevis</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Glossodoris hikuerensis</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Goniobranchus tennentanus</i> Species of gastropod

Goniobranchus tennentanus is a species of colourful sea slug in the family Chromodorididae.

<i>Felimare bayeri</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Triopha</i> Genus of gastropods

Triopha is a genus of colorful sea slugs, nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod mollusks in the family Polyceridae.

T. maculata may refer to:

<i>Lomanotus vermiformis</i> Species of gastropod

Lomanotus vermiformis is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Lomanotidae.

Doriopsilla davebehrensi is a species of dorid nudibranch, a colourful sea slug, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Dendrodorididae.

References

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