Thorunna kahuna explained

Thorunna kahuna is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.[1] [2]

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Hawaii.

Description

This species is translucent pinkish-white with a magenta submarginal line on the mantle. On the back foot it has two dark purple lines. The rhinophores have translucent pink stalks and orange-red clubs while the gills are orange-red with translucent pink bases. There are prominent, opaque-white mantle glands around the posterior margin of the mantle and, occasionally, in front of the rhinophores which help distinguish it from the very similar Thorunna daniellae.[3] Adult specimens are about long.[4]

Ecology

This species feeds on sponges of the genus Dysidea.

Notes and References

  1. MolluscaBase (2018). Thorunna kahuna R.F. Johnson & Gosliner, 2001. Accessed on 2018-12-23.
  2. Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012) Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479
  3. Pittman, C. & Fiene, P., 2018. Thorunna kahuna Sea slugs of Hawaii, accessed 2018-12-23.
  4. Rudman, W.B., 2003 (October 1) Thorunna kahuna Johnson & Gosliner, 2001. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.