Sea fan sea slug (Duvaucelia odhneri)

Distribution data supplied by the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). To interrogate UK data visit the NBN Atlas.Map Help

Summary

Description

A slender sea slug that grows up to 3.4 cm in length. It is pale salmon-pink or pure white in colour and has no markings on its body. It is extremely well camouflaged on its prey, the sea fan Eunicella verrucosa as it has eight pairs of gills along its back that closely resemble the feeding polyps.

Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland

A south-westerly distribution in the British Isles with the most northern limit at St. John's Point, Co. Donegal (NW Ireland).

Global distribution

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Habitat

Found on its prey, the sea fan Eunicella verrucosa.

Depth range

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Identifying features

  • Slender body without markings.
  • Six processes on the oral veil.
  • Approximately eight pairs of gills on the dorsum.
  • Rhinophores have smooth edged sheaths and branched tips.

Additional information

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Listed by

- none -

Further information sources

Although originally identified as Duvaucelia odhneri it was synonymised with Tritonia odhneri Marcus, 1959 when the genus Duvaucelia was moved within Tritonia in 1983. It has recently (2020) reverted to its original genus. 

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Bibliography

  1. Howson, C.M. & Picton, B.E., 1997. The species directory of the marine fauna and flora of the British Isles and surrounding seas. Belfast: Ulster Museum. [Ulster Museum publication, no. 276.]

  2. JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Committee), 1999. Marine Environment Resource Mapping And Information Database (MERMAID): Marine Nature Conservation Review Survey Database. [on-line] http://www.jncc.gov.uk/mermaid

  3. Moore, J., 2002. An atlas of marine Biodiversity Action Plan species and habitats and Species of Conservation Concern in Wales, 2nd edn. Report to the Countryside Council for Wales, CCW Contract Science Report no. 509.

  4. Picton, B. E. & Morrow, C.C., 1994. A Field Guide to the Nudibranchs of the British Isles. London: Immel Publishing Ltd.

Datasets

  1. Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 2018. Mollusc (marine) data for Great Britain and Ireland - restricted access. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/4bsawx accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-09-25.

  2. Conchological Society of Great Britain & Ireland, 2023. Mollusc (marine) records for Great Britain and Ireland. Occurrence dataset: https://doi.org/10.15468/aurwcz accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-09-27.

  3. NBN (National Biodiversity Network) Atlas. Available from: https://www.nbnatlas.org.

  4. OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System),  2025. Global map of species distribution using gridded data. Available from: Ocean Biogeographic Information System. www.iobis.org. Accessed: 2025-05-21

Citation

This review can be cited as:

Wilson, E. 2021. Duvaucelia odhneri Sea fan sea slug. In Tyler-Walters H. and Hiscock K. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Reviews, [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 21-05-2025]. Available from: https://www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/1240

Last Updated: 23/09/2021