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.[2]
Distribution
Kalinga ornata resides in the deep coastal waters of the Indo-West Pacific (though it has also been reported from Hawaii).
[3][4]
While it occasionally washes up in shallow regions, live individuals have been observed by divers at a depth of 6 m,[5]
they have been trawled from depths of 76 m,[6] and observed by an ROV at a depth of 182 m.[4]
Description
Kalinga ornata is nocturnal, reaching sizes of at least 130 mm, and prefers sandy or silty substrate.[3][5][7] It has been shown to feed on brittle stars, a completely unique diet for a nudibranch.[8]
Closeup of K. ornata's naked gill: This photo was taken at a famous diving spot named '82.5K' along the northeast coast of Taiwan at 15 m depth.K. ornata
References
^Alder J. & Hancock A. (1864). "Notice of a collection of nudibranchiate mollusca made in India by Walter Elliot Esq. with descriptions of several new genera and species". Trans. zool. Soc. London5: 113-147. Kalinga ornata is on the page 134.
^Caballer, M.; Bouchet, P. (2015). Kalinga ornata Alder & Hancock, 1864. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-07
^ abRudman, W. B., 1999 (November 17). Kalinga ornata. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Accessed 5 June 2010.
