MOLLUSCA : Nudibranchia : EubranchidaeSNAILS, SLUGS, ETC.

Amphorina pallida (Alder & Hancock, 1842)


 image: eubpal
Amphorina pallida

Description: The body and ceratal surfaces are pigmented with white and brown-red patches and there are yellow bands towards the tips of the cerata. The rhinophores and oral tentacles have a band of brown pigment and white pigment spots becoming dense at the tips. Alder & Hancock had a very pale individual as their type specimen, hence the somewhat inappropriate specific name; they later wanted to change the name to picta (painted)! Adults may reach 23mm in length.

Habitat: The adults may feed on the hydroid Tubularia, however juveniles usually take smaller calyptoblastic hydroids such as Obelia dichotoma, which often grows on Tubularia, and Halecium species.

Distribution: It is distributed all round the British Isles, America, Iceland and From Norway to the Mediterranean.

Key Identification Features:

  • Swollen cerata with yellow or white bands of pigment at the tip.
  • Brown and yellow-white pigment spots on body and cerata.

Distribution Map from NBN: Amphorina pallida at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Amphorina pallida at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Eubranchus pallidus

WoRMS: Amphorina pallida at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Eubranchus pallidus (Alder & Hancock, 1842). AphiaID: 139768.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Mollusca; Gastropoda; Heterobranchia; Euthyneura; Ringipleura; Nudipleura; Nudibranchia; Cladobranchia; Fionoidea; Eubranchidae; Amphorina

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 Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. (2024). Amphorina pallida. (Alder & Hancock, 1842). [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.
https://www2.habitas.org.uk/marbiop-ni/speciesaccounts.php?item=W15140. Accessed on 2025-04-10