Verconia protea

Verconia protea
Two Verconia protea (top left, bottom right) on a sponge near Gordon's Bay, South Africa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Nudibranchia
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Verconia
Species:
V. protea
Binomial name
Verconia protea
Gosliner, 1994
Synonyms

Noumea protea Gosliner, 1994

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

Distribution

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Known only from Oudekraal and Vulcan Rock on the Cape Peninsula west coast and Pinnacle dive site near Gordon's Bay on the east side of False Bay. South African endemic.[3]

Description

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A small (15mm) dorid with a smooth salmon pink body and white dotted margin.[3]

Ecology

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Often found on an encrusting sponge of almost identical colour at depths of 8 to 10m.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Bieler, R. (2015). Verconia protea (Gosliner, 1994). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=866660 on 2016-01-13
  2. ^ Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. ISBN 978-3-939767-06-0 page(s): 204 Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=562472 on 2012-02-25
  3. ^ a b c Zsilavecz, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. SURG, Cape Town. ISBN 0-620-38054-3