Marionia sp.

Photo courtesy of Ali Hermosillo
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Marionia sp. (Undescribed)

This gorgeous undescribed species of Marionia is one of many newly species chronicled in the just released – Field Guide to the Sea Slugs of the Tropical Eastern Pacific – by our friends – Yolanda Camacho-Garcia, Terry Gosliner and Angel Valdes. This full color guide includes every shallow water species known, from the southern border of Mexico to Ecuador and the Galapagos Archipelago. If you are interested in this region of the eastern Pacific this book is a must.

This striking new species of Marionia is orange in the middle of the dorsum changing to burgundy red on the sides of the body. The body surface is covered with light colored tubercles. The lateral processes are brown.

This very cryptic species is nocturnal being seen mostly at night, when it feeds on the octocorals of the genus, Carijoa. It measures up to 40 mm in length.

It has been collected throughout the Mexican Pacific to Panama and the Galapagos Islands.

References:

Camacho-Garcia, Gosliner and Valdes. 2005. Field Guide to the Sea Slugs of the Tropical Eastern Pacific. [Available from Sea Challengers ].

Hermosillo, Alicia and David Behrens. 2005. The opisthobranch fauna (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia) of the Mexican states of Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero filling in the faunal gap. Vita Malacologia, Vol 3. 12 pp.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
March 2005

Ali Hermosillo and Dave Behrens Author: Pacific Coast Nudibranchs Co-Author Coral Reef Animals of the Indo Pacific Proprietor of Sea Challengers Natural History Books Send Dave mail at dave@seachallengers.com

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