Kalinga ornata is a species of large, colourful nudibranch in the family Polyceridae. It is the only species in the genus Kalinga, which is the type genus of the subfamily Kalinginae.Caballer, M.; Bouchet, P. (2015). Kalinga ornata Alder & Hancock, 1864. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-07
Distribution Kalinga ornata resides in the deep coastal waters of the Western Indo-Pacific (though it has also been reported from Hawaii).Rudman, W. B., 1999 (November 17). Kalinga ornata. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Accessed 5 June 2010.Kelley, C., 2002 (May 2) Kalinga ornata from deepwater off Hawaii." [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Accessed 5 June 2010. While it occasionally washes up in shallow regions, live individuals have been observed by divers at a depth of 6 m,Gosliner, Terry. "Nudi of the Week is Kalinga ornata." The Slug Site. Accessed 5 June 2010. they have been trawled from depths of 76 m,"The Sea Slug Forum - Kalinga ornata from Hong Kong." The Sea Slug Forum. Accessed 5 June 2010. and observed by an ROV at a depth of 182 m.
Description Kalinga ornata is nocturnal, reaching sizes of at least 130 mm, and prefers sandy or silty substrate.Gosliner, Terry. "Two New Species of Sea Slugs, a Great Start - Scientist at Work Blog - NYTimes.com." Accessed 5 June 2010. It has been shown to feed on brittle stars, a completely unique diet for a nudibranch.Rie Nakano, Jiro Uochi, Toshihiko Fujita and Euichi Hirose, 2011. Kalinga ornata Alder & Hancock, 1864 (Nudibranchia: Polyceridae): a unique case of a sea slug feeding on echinoderms. Journal of Molluscan Studies. Volume 77, issue 4, pages 413-416
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