Duvaucelia odhneri

(Redirected from Tritonia nilsodhneri)

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

Duvaucelia odhneri
White individual of Duvaucelia odhneri from France
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Cladobranchia
Family: Tritoniidae
Genus: Duvaucelia
Species:
D. odhneri
Binomial name
Duvaucelia odhneri
J. Tardy, 1963[1]
Synonyms
  • Tritonia nilsodhneri Marcus, 1983

The specific name odhneri is in honour of Swedish malacologist Nils Hjalmar Odhner. This species was originally described as Duvaucelia odhneri but this became a homonym of Tritonia odhneri Marcus, 1959 when the genus Duvaucelia was moved within Tritonia in 1983.[2] In 2020 the genus Duvaucelia was brought back into use and the name reverted to the original combination of Tardy, 1963.[3]

Distribution

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This species is found in the north Atlantic Ocean off the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. It is also reported from South Africa but DNA evidence suggests that this is a distinct, as yet un-named, species.[3] Around the South African coast this species is found on both sides of the Cape Peninsula. It is known from 10–30 m.[4]

Description

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Camouflage: the South African whip fan nudibranch and its egg ribbon

The South African whip fan nudibranch is a well-camouflaged animal which mimics the gorgonians on which it feeds. It is a small nudibranch, reaching 30 mm. Its branched rhinophores extend from cup-like sheaths. Paired branching projections down the length of the body resemble the feeding polyps of its prey species of sea fan.[5]

Ecology

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The egg ribbon

The whip fan nudibranch feeds on gorgonians of the genus Eunicella. It lays a thin zigzag spiral of eggs around the main axis of these sea fans. The egg mass is also coloured to match the gorgonians.

References

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  1. ^ Tardy J. (1963). Description d'une nouvelle espèce de Tritoniidae: Duvaucelia odhneri, récoltée sur la côte atlantique française. Bulletin de l'Institut Océanographique de Monaco 60(1260): 1-10
  2. ^ Marcus Ev. (1983). The western Atlantic Tritoniidae. Boletim de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo 7: 177-214.
  3. ^ a b 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.
  4. ^ Gosliner, T.M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN 0-930118-13-8
  5. ^ Zsilavecz, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN 0-620-38054-3