Elysia cf. marginata (Pease, 1871)

Mehrotra, Rahul, A. Caballer Gutierrez, Manuel, M. Scott, Chad, Arnold, Spencer, Monchanin, Coline, Viyakarn, Voranop & Chavanich, Suchana, 2021, An updated inventory of sea slugs from Koh Tao, Thailand, with notes on their ecology and a dramatic biodiversity increase for Thai waters, ZooKeys 1042, pp. 73-188 : 73

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1042.64474

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9CF986D8-6A47-4E17-9A67-245C78FB8AFD

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/299F959E-BCA9-563E-960B-462177E8F141

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Elysia cf. marginata (Pease, 1871)
status

 

* Elysia cf. marginata (Pease, 1871) View in CoL Figure 4J View Figure 4

Material examined.

Three specimens 65-82 mm, CB.

Ecology.

Mostly recorded from specimens inhabiting a shallow, isolated patch of Halimeda macroloba Decaisne, 1841 in soft sediment habits, although presumably feeding on other nearby algae. Also observed from shallow coral reef habitats, rarely. Depth 0.5-6 m.

Distribution.

Elysia marginata is at present recorded from the Indo-Pacific including Myanmar ( Sanpanich and Duangdee 2019), Vietnam ( Martynov and Korshunova 2012), Indonesia ( Yonow and Jensen 2018), Australia ( Nimbs and Smith 2016), Japan, Guam, French Polynesia, Vanuatu, and Hawaii ( Krug et al. 2013). Specimens from South Africa, Madagascar, and Réunion ( Gosliner et al. 2008 as Elysia ornata ) also are likely to correspond to this complex. Known from the Andaman waters of Thailand ( Jensen 1992), here representing a first record for the Gulf of Thailand.

Remarks.

Recent molecular investigations ( Krug et al. 2013) have indicated up to four possible clades making up the species Elysia marginata , that was separated from its Caribbean counterpart Elysia ornata (Swainson, 1840), which was formerly considered circumtropical. Yonow and Jensen (2018) further discuss the challenges in assigning all specimens with the ‘characteristic’ orange and black marginal bands on the parapodia to E. marginata as similar species such as E. faustula Bergh, 1871 and E. grandifolia Kelaart, 1858 were described and illustrated with comparable features. Both aforementioned species differ in ground colour or the presence/absence of denticulation on radular teeth, and both of these features have been shown to be variable within a single species and often a single specimen ( Mehrotra et al. 2020b). Therefore, all indications point to a need for a comprehensive analysis integrating morphology, ecology, and molecular data to delineate species in this complex.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Mollusca

Class

Gastropoda

Order

Squamata

Family

Plakobranchidae

Genus

Elysia