MOLLUSCA : NUDIBRANCHIA : TritoniidaeSNAILS, SLUGS, ETC.

Duvaucelia plebeia (Johnston, 1828)


Duvaucelia plebeia

Description: Synonym: Tritonia plebeia

This inconspicuous nudibranch is pale yellow with extensive greenish-brown mottling. Usually there are two patches of darker pigment behind the rhinophores. It has six finger-like processes on its oral veil and up to six pairs of arborescent lateral gills. Adults vary in length from approximately 16-30mm.

Habitat: Duvaucelia plebeia feeds on the soft coral Alcyonium digitatum and is usually found hiding at the base of the colony or amongst bryozoan undergrowth nearby. The spawn is a string laid in a convoluted coil, usually on rock at the base of Alcyonium colonies.

Distribution: This species is frequent all round the British Isles. It reaches its northern limit at Norway and its southern limit at Portugal.

Similar Species: Duvaucelia plebeia is similar in appearance to Duvaucelia manicata but not as slender as that species and much darker in colour.

Key Identification Features:

Distribution Map: NBN map : National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

WoRMS: Species record : World Register of Marine Species.

iNaturalist: Species account : iNaturalist World Species Observations database



 Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. (2016). Duvaucelia plebeia (Johnston, 1828). [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.
https://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=W12460 Accessed on 2025-02-15

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