Tritonicula hamnerorum

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Tritonicula hamnerorum
Tritonia hamnerorum.png
Tritonicula hamnerorum on substrate with egg mass
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Cladobranchia
Family: Tritoniidae
Genus: Tritonicula
Species:
T. hamnerorum
Binomial name
Tritonicula hamnerorum
(Gosliner & Ghiselin, 1987) [1]

Tritonicula hamnerorum is a species of dendronotid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tritoniidae. A number of Caribbean species of Tritonia were moved to a new genus Tritonicula in 2020 as a result of an integrative taxonomic study of the family Tritoniidae. [2]

Contents

Distribution

Tritonicula hamnerorum is found in the Caribbean area with its range extending from the Gulf of Mexico to Curaçao and the Cayman Islands. [3] [4] The distribution of Tritonicula hamnerorum includes Florida, Mexico, Belize, Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Panama. [5]

Description

The shape of the body is elongate and narrow. Rhinophores are long with branched tips. Rhinophoral sheaths are elevated with an irregular edge. Edge of the oral veil has relatively long appendages. Background colour is translucent gray with a series of irregular, longitudinal, thin white lines that run along the length of the dorsum. [5] Its colour, pink or pale lavender, matches the colour of its host sea fan, Gorgonia ventalina. [1] There are about twenty thin white stripes running the length of the body. [1] There are series of nine, sparsely pinnate, gills or cerata down each side of the body. [1] Tritonicula hamnerorum is up to 15 millimetres (0.59 in) long. [5] [6]

Ecology

Habitat

Found in shallow water reef habitats with its host Gorgonia ventalina. [7] Minimum recorded depth is 2 m. [6] Maximum recorded depth is 4 m. [6]

Feeding habits

Tritonicula hamnerorum seems to feed exclusively on Gorgonia ventalina and extensive searches failed to locate any individuals on other parts of the reef, on mangroves or in seagrass beds. Gorgonia ventalina contains secondary metabolites including one, "julieannafuran", which is distasteful to predators. Tritonicula hamnerorum seems to be unaffected by this and sequesters the compound, accumulating it in its tissues. This in turn makes the nudibranch distasteful to predatory fish, such as the bluehead wrasse ( Thalassoma bifasciatum ), which avoid consuming this species. [7] This species reportedly feeds on the octocorals Gorgonia ventalina and Gorgonia flabellum . [5]

Life cycle

This nudibranch lays small clusters containing several hundred egg capsules on branches of its host coral. The morphology of the veliger larvae that hatch from these eggs suggest that they are planktonic. Juveniles feed on the soft tissue overlying the skeleton of the sea fan while adults feed on the polyps. Within its range, the distribution of Tritonicula hamnerorum is very patchy. Usually one or a few individuals are found on a single sea fan, but very occasionally, as happened in an outbreak in 1992, a large number of juveniles occur. On this occasion, 1,700 were found in a dense aggregation on one side of an area of sea fan measuring 0.27 square metres (2.9 sq ft). Because these juveniles were all the same size, researchers hypothesized that they may not have become planktonic but may have remained on the host after hatching and fed on plankton, like their host, before undergoing metamorphosis. [7] It was found on gorgonian sea fans in dense aggregations also in Panama. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nudibranch</span> Order of gastropods

Nudibranchs belong to the order Nudibranchia, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcyonacea</span> Order of octocorals that do not produce massive calcium carbonate skeletons

Alcyonacea are an order of sessile colonial cnidarians that are found throughout the oceans of the world, especially in the deep sea, polar waters, tropics and subtropics. Whilst not in a strict taxonomic sense, Alcyonacea are commonly known as soft corals. The term "soft coral" generally applies to organisms in the two orders Pennatulacea and Alcyonacea with their polyps embedded within a fleshy mass of coenenchymal tissue. Consequently, the term "gorgonian coral" is commonly handed to multiple species in the order Alcyonacea that produce a mineralized skeletal axis composed of calcite and the proteinaceous material gorgonin only and corresponds to only one of several families within the formally accepted taxon Gorgoniidae (Scleractinia). These can be found in order Malacalcyonacea (taxonomic synonyms of include : Alcyoniina, Holaxonia, Protoalcyonaria, Scleraxonia, and Stolonifera. They are sessile colonial cnidarians that are found throughout the oceans of the world, especially in the deep sea, polar waters, tropics and subtropics. Common names for subsets of this order are sea fans and sea whips; others are similar to the sea pens of related order Pennatulacea. Individual tiny polyps form colonies that are normally erect, flattened, branching, and reminiscent of a fan. Others may be whiplike, bushy, or even encrusting. A colony can be several feet high and across, but only a few inches thick. They may be brightly coloured, often purple, red, or yellow. Photosynthetic gorgonians can be successfully kept in captive aquaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tritoniidae</span> Family of gastropods

Tritoniidae is a taxonomic family of nudibranchs in the suborder Cladobranchia, shell-less marine gastropod molluscs. This family includes some of the largest known nudibranchs, with the NE Atlantic species Tritonia hombergii reaching 20 cm in length. It is the only family in the monotypic superfamily Tritonioidea.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diamondback tritonia</span> Species of gastropod

The diamondback tritonia is a species of nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tritoniidae. It is an opportunistic predator of other marine invertebrates.

<i>Tritonia</i> (gastropod) Genus of gastropods

Tritonia is a genus of sea slugs, nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod molluscs in the family Tritoniidae.

<i>Tochuina gigantea</i> Species of gastropod

Tochuina gigantea, common name the giant orange tochui, is a species of sea slug, a tritonid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tritoniidae.

<i>Duvaucelia odhneri</i> Species of gastropod

Duvaucelia odhneri, is a species of dendronotid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tritoniidae.

<i>Felimida clenchi</i> Species of gastropod

Felimida clenchi, common name the Harlequin blue doris, is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.

<i>Tritonicula bayeri</i> Species of mollusc

Tritonicula bayeri is a species of dendronotid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tritoniidae. A number of Caribbean and western Pacific species of Tritonia were moved to a new genus Tritonicula in 2020 as a result of an integrative taxonomic study of the family Tritoniidae.

Tritonia bollandi is a species of dendronotid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tritoniidae.

Tritonicula myrakeenae is a species of dendronotid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tritoniidae. A number of species of Tritonia were moved to a new genus Tritonicula in 2020 as a result of an integrative taxonomic study of the family Tritoniidae.

Tritonicula pickensi is a species of dendronotid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tritoniidae. A number of Caribbean and western Pacific species of Tritonia were moved to a new genus Tritonicula in 2020 as a result of an integrative taxonomic study of the family Tritoniidae.

Tritonicula wellsi, the sea whip slug, is a species of nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tritoniidae. The type locality is Beaufort, North Carolina. A number of Caribbean and western Pacific species of Tritonia were moved to a new genus Tritonicula in 2020 as a result of an integrative taxonomic study of the family Tritoniidae.

<i>Gorgonia ventalina</i> Species of coral

Gorgonia ventalina, the common sea fan and purple sea fan, is a species of sea fan, an octocoral in the family Gorgoniidae. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

<i>Okenia zoobotryon</i> Species of gastropod

Okenia zoobotryon is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae. It is normally found on the colonial bryozoan Amathia verticillata on which it lives and feeds.

<i>Aegires ortizi</i> Species of gastropod

Aegires ortizi is a species of sea slug, a nudibranch, a marine, opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aegiridae.

Tritoniella is a genus of sea slugs, specifically dendronotid nudibranchs. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tritoniidae.The genus was described in 1907 by the British diplomat and malacologist Charles Eliot.

Tritonicula is a genus of sea slugs, nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod molluscs in the family Tritoniidae. It contains species previously included in Tritonia as a result of a revision of the family Tritoniidae.

Tritonia hirondelle is a species of dendronotid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tritoniidae.

References

This article incorporates Creative Commons (CC-BY-4.0) text from the reference [5]

  1. 1 2 3 4 Gosliner, Terrence M.; Ghiselin, Michael T. (1987). "A new species of Tritonia (Opisthobranchia: Gastropoda) from the Caribbean sea". Bulletin of Marine Science. 40 (3): 428–436.
  2. ↑ Korshunova, T.; Martynov, A. (2020). Consolidated data on the phylogeny and evolution of the family Tritoniidae (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) contribute to genera reassessment and clarify the taxonomic status of the neuroscience models Tritonia and Tochuina. PLOS ONE. 15(11): e0242103.
  3. ↑ Rudman, W.B., 2002 (January 20) Tritonia hamnerorum Gosliner & Ghiselin, 1987. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  4. ↑ MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Tritonicula hamnerorum (Gosliner & Ghiselin, 1987). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2021-01-05
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Goodheart J. A., Ellingson R. A., Vital X. G., Galvão Filho H. C., McCarthy J. B., Medrano S. M., Bhave V. J., García-Méndez K., Jiménez L. M., López G. & Hoover C. A. (2016). "Identification guide to the heterobranch sea slugs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Bocas del Toro, Panama". Marine Biodiversity Records9(1): 56. doi : 10.1186/s41200-016-0048-z
  6. 1 2 3 Welch J. J. (2010). "The “Island Rule” and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008776.
  7. 1 2 3 Cronin, G.; Hay, M. E.; Fenical, W.; Lindquist, N. (1995). "Distribution, density, and sequestration of host chemical defenses by the specialist nudibranch Tritonia hamnerorum found at high densities on the sea fan Gorgonia ventalina". Marine Ecology Progress Series. 119: 177–189. doi: 10.3354/meps119177 . hdl: 1853/32042 .
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