Author: Undescribed

Order: Nudibranchia  Family: Discodorididae

Maximum Size: 30 mm

Sightings: Sunshine Coast

_______________________________________________________________________________

Thordisa sp. 01 Undescribed

A dull golden yellow in colour with small spots of dark brown pigment, evenly distributed. The entire dorsum is covered with transparent extendable tapering papillae, typical of the genus. Extra long conical papillae are arranged in a series of five distinct longitudinal lines down the entire length of the dorsum, with the central one on the midline. These are surrounded by a patch of dark pigment that extends up the papillae for approx. a third of its length before turning transparent and then becoming speckled with white pigment distally. The conical rhinophore clubs are black with white flecks upon the lamellae edges and having white apices while the stalks are translucent white. The gill is translucent  with opaque white and black flecking. The dorsum carries slit and sand grains from the substrate that appear to be retained by mucus secretions.

Has been found on the top of stones out in the open shallow sandy substrate.

Feeds upon sponges.

David A. Mullins – January 2025

References:
– Chan, J. M. & Gosliner, T. M. (2007). Preliminary Phylogeny of Thordisa Nudibranchia: Discodorididae) with Descriptions of Five New Species. The Veliger, 48(4): 284–308.

– Gosliner, T. M., Valde ́s, A ́. & Behrens, D. W. (2018). Nudibranch & Sea Slug Identification – Indo-Pacific, 2nd Edition. New World Publications, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

– Donohoo, S. A. & Gosliner, T. M. (2024). Variability in the white spot: a new genus and species of Discodorididae (Nudibranchia) from the central and western Pacific Ocean. Journal of Molluscan Studies 90: eyad027