Phylliroe cf. bucephala, Lamarck, 1816

Salvador, Xavier, Fernández-Vilert, Robert & Moles, Juan, 2022, Sea slug night fever: 39 new records of elusive heterobranchs in the western Mediterranean (Mollusca: Gastropoda), Journal of Natural History 56 (5 - 8), pp. 265-310 : 282-283

Phylliroe cf. bucephala

( Figure 4 (a))

Material examined

Cala d’Aiguablava , Begur ( Spain), 41°56 ʹ 13.4”N, 3°13 ʹ 8.6”E, 29 March 2021, 3 m depth, 1 spc., adult, L = 20 mm; Cap de Begur , Begur ( Spain), 41°57 ʹ 2”N, 3°14 ʹ 3.1”E, 30 March 2021, 2–4 m depth, 4 spcs, adults, L = 20–30 mm; Cala Sa Tuna, Begur ( Spain), 41°57 ʹ 38”N, 3°13 ʹ 52”E, 31 March 2021, 1 m depth, 5 spcs, adults, L = 10– 20 mm; Montiel, Tamariu ( Spain), 41°54 ʹ 55.9”N, 3°12 ʹ 46.3”E, 1 April 2021, 3 m depth, 2 spcs, adults, L = 20 mm .

External morphology

Body flat, laterally compressed, ending in a fishtail shape; translucent tegument, internal organs seen by transparency (four digestive gland ramifications, reproductive and nervous systems); numerous yellow, iridescent spots on dorsal and ventral sides. Rhinophores long, smooth, slightly rippled once in ethanol.

Ecology

The species lives in the open sea, generally at great depths, having a body adapted for swimming. Feeds on jellyfish, although its diet is not well studied.

Distribution

Syria ( Durgham and Ikhtiyar 2020); Italy ( Schmekel and Portmann 1982); Spain: Canary Islands ( Cervera et al. 2004), Spanish Levantine coast ( Cervera et al. 2004), Catalonia (this study).

Remarks

According to Lamarck’s description (1816) and his illustrations, our specimens resemble P. bucephala , but a molecular analysis is required to validate its identity due to its similarities to P. lichtensteinii Eschscholtz, 1825 , which has also been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea. In any case, this represents the first record of the genus Phylliroe on the Iberian Spanish coast.

Family EUBRANCHIDAE Odhner, 1934

Genus Amphorina Quatrefages, 1844

Figures

Figure 4. Photographs of live Nudibranchia species: (a) The pelagic Phylliroe cf. bucephala. (b) Amphorina andra surrounded by hydrozoans of the genus Sertularella. (c) Eubranchus prietoi on the hydrozoan Kirchenpaueria halecioides. (d) The alien Godiva quadricolor. (e) Three specimens of Piseinotecus soussi and their egg masses. (f) Piseinotecus sphaeriferus on top of the hydrozoan Obelia sp. (g) Tenellia adspersa. (h) Trinchesia cuanensis on top of the hydrozoan Sertularella sp.