Catriona aurantia is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trinchesiidae.Picton, B.; Rosenberg, G. (2017). Catriona aurantia (Alder & Hancock, 1842). In: MolluscaBase (2017). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2017-11-02. It was incorrectly synonymised with Catriona gymnota from the Western Atlantic but shown to be a distinct species by DNA analysis.Korshunova, T.; Martynov, A.; Picton, B. (2017). Ontogeny as an important part of integrative taxonomy in tergipedid aeolidaceans (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) with a description of a new genus and species from the Barents Sea. Zootaxa. 4324(1): 1.
Distribution This species was described from Whitley, on the North Sea coast of England.Alder J. & Hancock A. (1842). Descriptions of several new species of nudibranchous mollusca found on the coast of Northumberland. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 9: 31-36.
Description This species has a translucent white body and slightly swollen cerata. The digestive gland is orange pink in colour and the tips of the cerata have a broad white band of tiny epidermal glands. In larger specimens the rhinophores develop a pale orange suffusion. The foot is broad and rounded anteriorly. Large individuals may exceed 20 mm in length.
Habitat Feeds on the hydroid Tubularia larynx. Individuals are thought to feed by eating through the stems of the hydroid rather than on the polyps. Usually found in exposed places, in strong tidal streams, and in shallow water, from 0 m to 20 m depth. The spawn consists of lozenge-shaped packets of eggs.Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. (2016). Catriona aurantia (Alder & Hancock, 1842). [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland. Accessed on 2016-12-25.
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