Tayuva lilacina. Light brown/olive grey with many darker circular patches (A). Often, two or three rows of the patches have black-brown flecks on them (B). White tips on many tubercles (D). Gills retracted out of sight (E).
Juvenile 10 mm long. Croatia. March 2014. © J. Prkić .
FULL 9 POINT COMPARISON with J. tomentosa:
Tayuva lilacina (Gould, 1852)
Synonym: Discodoris maculosa Bergh, 1884.
Occurs in Mediterranean and most tropical seas; not recorded in NW Europe.
1: Up to 60 mm long. (Juveniles c. 10 mm length are superficially very similar to Jorunna tomentosa.)
2: Light brown to light olive grey with many slightly darker circular patchesA. Often, two or three rows of the patches have black-brown flecks on them< b>B 41 Jorunna tomentosa album. Comparison image of Tayuva lilacina. .
3: Crowded, low, conical tubercles (not linear caryophyllidia), often several apically capped with opaque white; body has hard texture 42 Jorunna tomentosa album. Comparative image of Tayuva lilacina . On older specimens many tubercles are white, and the mantle may be abundantly speckled white 43 Jorunna tomentosa album. Comparative image of adult Tayuva lilacina. .
4: Gills golden brown with white tips C, but often retracted out of sight.
5: Base of extended gills surrounded by large raised sheath D which closes over the gills when they are retracted into a pit 41 Jorunna tomentosa album. Comparison image of Tayuva lilacina. .
6: Slender tapered oral tentacles 42 Jorunna tomentosa album. Comparative image of Tayuva lilacina .
7: Body has a flattened low profile E, but can occasionally assume a more raised profile.
8: Whitish rhinophores, heavily speckled with dark pigment, can extend much taller and slender than on J. tomentosa.
9: Posterior of foot can protrude slightly when in motion. Adults have dark pigment mottling on the sole.
Jorunna tomentosa
1: Length up to 30 mm (Neuhaus et al, 2021), 55 mm (Thompson and Brown, 1984), often a similar size to Doris pseudoargus.
2: Dorsally, sandy-brown 01 Jorunna tomentosa. Length 60 mm. Intertidal. Orkney. April 1975. , reddish brown, grey-white, grey-cream, yellow 02 Jorunna tomentosa. , yellow cream 03 Jorunna tomentosa. Length 55mm. Menai Strait, Wales. June 2013. , buff-orange, or white 04 Jorunna tomentosa. West Anglesey, Wales. March 2014.. Small opaque white glandular structures near periphery of mantle 03 Jorunna tomentosa. Length 55mm. Menai Strait, Wales. June 2013. but sometimes not discernible 01 Jorunna tomentosa. Length 60 mm. Intertidal. Orkney. April 1975. . Usually, scattered small dark spots and a few dark blotches in a longitudinal row on each side 05 Jorunna tomentosa. Split, Croatia. November 2012. © J. Prkić . ; sometimes blotches absent, or few and small 11 Jorunna tomentosa. 55mm long. Menai Strait, Wales. June, 2013. and occasionally the small spots are absent.
3: Mantle has crowded, small, match-like, retractile tubercles (caryophyllidia) 08 Jorunna tomentosa. Rhinophores from 34 mm and 55 mm long animals. Menai Strait, Wales. with a ring of sharp projecting spicules surrounding the rounded apex. Body has velvety appearance and soft feel.
4: Large yellow-cream to grey gills around brown anal papilla 02 Jorunna tomentosa. & 04 Jorunna tomentosa. West Anglesey, Wales. March 2014. . Gills are often paler than the mantle and sometimes have dark dots.
5: Base of extended gills surrounded by distinct collar-like sheath 09 Jorunna tomentosa, gills and gill sheath. Lengths of animals 55mm and 43mm. Anglesey, Wales. which closes over the gills when they are retracted into a pit 12 Jorunna tomentosa. Length of animal 43mm. Menai Strait, Wales. February 2014. .
6: Slender tapered oral tentacles 15 Jorunna tomentosa. Animal 55mm long. Menai Strait, Wales. June, 2013. .
7: Convex body with raised profile 07 Jorunna tomentosa. West Anglesey, Wales. March 2014. .
8: Short, stout rhinophores have a translucent whitish, or slightly tinted, basal stem and a conical, lamellated, yellow-cream to grey, distal part bearing red to brown pigment dots/marks 08 Jorunna tomentosa. Rhinophores from 34 mm and 55 mm long animals. Menai Strait, Wales. .
9: Posterior of foot protrudes when in motion 19 Jorunna tomentosa. Length 43mm. Menai Strait, Wales. February 2014. .