Spurilla braziliana MacFarland, 1909

Grandez, Alessandra, Ampuero, Andre & Barahona, Sergio P., 2023, Peruvian nudibranchs (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Heterobranchia): an updated literature review-based list of species, ZooKeys 1176, pp. 117-163 : 117

Spurilla braziliana MacFarland, 1909

Habitat.

Benthic.

Depth.

0-10 m ( Gosliner 1979; Uribe and Pacheco 2012).

Type material.

Holotype CASIZ 019731-Alagoas, Brazil ( Carmona et al. 2014).

Distribution.

This species exhibits a distribution range spanning the western Atlantic, extending from Florida to Brazil ( Behrens and Hermosillo 2005; Marcus 1959), as well as the Pacific Ocean.

Sampling/reporting sites.

In Peru, it was reported in Ferrol Bay (Chimbote, 09°06'S) ( Uribe and Pacheco 2012) and Pucusana (Lima, 12°25'S) ( Uribe et al. 2013) under the name Spurilla neapolitana . In the western Pacific, this species has been reported in Japan ( Hamatani 2000), China ( Lin 1992), and Australia ( Willan 2006). Within the Eastern Pacific, it was reported in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia ( Carmona et al. 2013). Additionally, a specimen was reported from Hawaii ( Gosliner 1979).

Remarks.

Carmona et al. (2013), based on mitochondrial and nuclear sequences, revealed that Spurilla neapolitana MacFarland, 1909 comprises a complex of five cryptic species. In the light of this discovery, the name Spurilla braziliana has been assigned to populations found in the western Atlantic and Pacific regions. Carmona et al. (2013) further speculated that the occurrence of this species in the Pacific Ocean might be attributed to human-mediated introductions.

Family Facelinidae Bergh, 1889