Aplysia dactylomela Rang, 1828

Gutiérrez, Manuel Caballer, Ortea, Jesús, Rivero, Nelsy, Tucker, Gabriela Carias, Malaquias, Manuel António E. & Narciso, Samuel, 2015, The opisthobranch gastropods (Mollusca: Heterobranchia) from Venezuela: an annotated and illustrated inventory of species, Zootaxa 4034 (2), pp. 201-256 : 216-217

29. Aplysia dactylomela Rang, 1828

( Figure 2 I)

Material examined. WYL, 1 spc., H = 60 mm, IVICCM000111. YL, 3 spcs, H = 50–120 mm, ZMBN 84916, ZMBN 84917. APV, 1 spc., H = 51 mm, IVICCM000078. CBM, 4 spcs, H = 20–101 mm, NRC. SPM, 3 spcs, H = 55–88 mm, NRC. CHC, 1 spc., PNC.

Ecology. Crawling on seagrass or rocky-muddy bottoms (1 m deep). This species release a purple fluid when disturbed.

Distribution. ABC Islands, Anguilla, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Belize, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts /St. Christopher, St. Martin / St. Maarten, USA, Virgin Islands, Venezuela (Valdés et al. 2006; Rios 2009; Miloslavich et al. 2010; Yidi & Sarmiento 2011. Punta Charagato, Cubagua island & La Galera, Margarita island: Rodriguez 1959. Isla Larga, South Island: Marcus & Marcus 1967a. Los Roques: Work 1969; Rosenberg 2009. Taguao, Las Salinas (Vargas), Chirimena (Miranda), Morrocoy National Park (Falcon), Mochima Bay & Golfo de Cariaco (Sucre), Margarita island (Nueva Esparta) & Los Roques: Rivero et al. 2003). Confined to the Atlantic Ocean, where it is common (Valdés et al. 2013).

Remarks. This is an Atlantic subtropical species (Valdés et al. 2013) characterized by a whitish-creamy colour with distinct black rings.

Figures

FIGURE 2. A, Migaya felis, 1 iving specimen and spawn. B, Navanax gemmatus. C, Chelidonura hirundinina. D, Philine buchensis. E, Bulla occidentalis, ϳuveni 1 e. F, Bulla occidentalis. G, Haminoea cf. elegans. H, Lapinura divae. I, Aplysia dactylomela. J, Aplysia brasiliana. K, Aplysia juliana. L, Dolabrifera dolabrifera. M, Petalifera ramosa.