Artachaea, BERGH, 1882

Valdés, Ángel, 2002, A phylogenetic analysis and systematic revision of the cryptobranch dorids (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Anthobranchia), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136 (4), pp. 535-636 : 613-615

GENUS ARTACHAEA BERGH, 1882

Artachaea Bergh, 1882: 231 . Type species: Artachaea rubida Bergh, 1882 , by monotypy.

Remarks

The genus Artachaea was described by Bergh (1882) based on the new species Artachaea rubida Bergh, 1882 . He defined this new genus as having a not too hard consistency and a coarsely granulated dorsum. The anterior border of the foot is rounded, and apparently simple, but there are oral tentacles. There are no jaws and the radular teeth are finely denticulate. The penis is armed with spines.

Bergh (1882) recognized the similarity of Artachaea with members of the genus Cadlina Bergh, 1878 , but they are clearly differentiated by the presence of jaws. Unfortunately, the type material of Artachaea rubida is lost (K. Jensen, pers. comm.), and clarification of its systematic relationships is not possible. Eliot (1908) Eales (1938) and White (1950) assigned more species to this genus, some of them armed with copulatory spines.