Glaucus atlanticus Forster, 1777

Delgado, Marlon, Freire, Fúlvio Aurélio de Morais, Meirelles, Carlos Augusto Oliveira de, Padula, Vinicius, Bahia, Juliana & Brandão, Simone Nunes, 2022, Sea slugs (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) from Rio Grande do Norte, Northeastern Brazil, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 62, pp. 1-26 : 19-20

40. Glaucus atlanticus Forster, 1777 ( Fig. 4J )

Material examined: Praia de Santa Rita, Extremoz, 15.VIII.2016, one specimen, 35 mm (body length), phot. reg. P. Rocha.Praia de Ponta Negra, Natal, 02.XI.2020, two specimens, 30-32 mm (body length), phot. reg. Í. Sérgio.

Description: Elongate and flat body, up to 35 mm (body length) in length. Color silver, rhinophores, cerata, oral tentacles, back dorsum and tail predominantly dark blue and white on ventral side. Head small with a ventral, small oral tentacles and very short rhinophores on the dorsal side. There are three pairs of clusters of cerata arranged on the lateral side of the body. Clusters of cerata mobile, allowing for retraction and distension movements similar to swimming.

Geographic distribution: Widespread in the tropical and subtropical oceans ( Churchill et al., 2014). Mediterranean Sea:Indian Ocean: Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Australia; Cook Island, India, Lord Howe, Madagascar, Norfolk Islands, Seychelles, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Yemen ( Srinivasulu et al., 2012); Eastern Pacific: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Galapagos, Hawaii, Mexico, USA ( Srinivasulu et al., 2012); Western Pacific: Japan, New Zealand ( Srinivasulu et al., 2012); Eastern Atlantic: Azores, Canaries, Madeira, South Africa ( Srinivasulu et al., 2012); Western Atlantic: Aruba, Argentina, Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica, Mexico, Uruguay, USA, and Brazil (Alagoas, Bahia, Rio Grande do Norte – present study, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul) ( Valdés et al., 2006; Segovia & López, 2015; Pinotti et al., 2019).

Remarks: First record from Rio Grande do Norte. The specimens from both localities sampled were found at the seaside stranded close to Velella velella (Linnaeus, 1758) .

Figures

Figure 4. Heterobranch sea slugs from Rio Grande do Norte. (A) Doris kyolis (6 mm – GEEFAA 340); (B) Doris sp. (8 mm – GEEFAA 347); (C) Doto chica (5 mm – GEEFAA 315); (D) Doto divae (2 mm – GEEFAA 285); (E) Phidiana lynceus (27 mm – MZSP 97035);(F) Cratena minor (18 mm – GEEFAA 334); (G) Berghia creutzbergi (13 mm – GEEFAA 1306); (H) Berghia rissodominguezi (3 mm – GEEFAA 289); (I) Spurilla braziliana (13 mm – MZSP 97034); (J) Glaucus atlanticus (35 mm – phot. reg.);(K) Cuthonabarbadiana (5 mm – GEEFAA 257).