Verconia norba

Verconia norba is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.[1]

Verconia norba
Verconia norba off of Guam, head end towards the bottom of the image
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Euctenidiacea
clade Doridacea
Superfamily:
Doridoidea
Family:
Chromodorididae
Genus:
Verconia
Species:
V. norba
Binomial name
Verconia norba
(Marcus & Marcus, 1970)
Synonyms

Noumea norba Er. Marcus & Ev. Marcus, 1970

Distribution

This species is found throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific.[2]

Description

The length of the body varies between 7 mm and 25 mm. In this species the mantle can vary in color from reddish purple to pinkish orange. The mantle border is creamy white. Just inside the mantle border are a series of reddish purple streaks or smudged marks which are a more vibrant purple than the main body color. Along the midline of the animal is a white patch that matches the white border. This patch sometimes encircles the gills and extends anteriorly between the rhinophores. The line is often broken into two patches anterior-posteriorly. The rhinophores and branchia (gills) have an orange-red tint. Identifying individual purple sea slugs within the genus Noumea can be challenging because purple forms exist in several related species.

Ecology

The food source for this species has not been definitely identified, however this species has been found on coralline alga, which may prove to be part of its diet.[3]

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References
  1. Bieler, R. (2015). Verconia norba (Er. Marcus & Ev. Marcus, 1970). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=866658 on 2016-01-13
  2. Noumea norba, Sea Slug Forum.
  3. Noumea norba food source, Sea Slug Forum.
  • Marcus, E. & Marcus, E. 1970. Opisthobranch Mollusks from the Southern Tropical Pacific. Pacific Science 24: 155-179
  • Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. 2007. Nudibranchs of the world. Frankfurt : IKAN-Unterwasserarchiv.
  • Noumea norba on Sea Slug Forum
  • Noumea norba on Nudipixel
  • "Noumea norba". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
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