Festive Tritonid

The diamondback tritonia inhabits the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Sightings have been most prevalent on the west coast of North America and have been reported as far north as Alaska. The species has also been identified along the coast of Japan and both North and South Korea.

The diamondback tritonia preys on soft corals including sea pens, sea pansies, and sea whips. They feed on the young of these organisms as they are smaller and easier to consume. More specifically, the diamondback tritonia is the only known predator to the polyps of Discophyton rudyi, which are small, colony-forming soft corals found on the rocky shores of the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Diamondback tritonias feed on these varying prey by using their digitate frontal veil to locate and attack them before the polyps can contract into a state of protection.

This species is simultaneously hermaphroditic, meaning that they produce both eggs and sperm. Mating occurs as both individuals try to penetrate one another. The first to succeed is deemed the dominant male and the other individual deposits the fertilized eggs on a substratum to develop.