Cerberilla tanna
Marcus & Marcus, 1960

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Aeolidiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Caribbean

PHOTO

Upper Photo: Apalachicola Bay, NW Florida, USA. 2.6 and 4.1 m, in sand. January, 2004. 15-20mm long. Photo: Kelly Hooper.
Lower Photo: West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, Depth: 15 feet. May 4, 2003. Photo: Linda Ianello

NOTE: This identification is tentative - see discussion below.

Cerberilla tanna was described from preserved material collected off Sabine Jetties, Texas, USA. Size 25mm long preserved. The colour of the preserved specimen was described as "dirty yellow with an orange-brown spot on the outer surface of many, not all, cerata under the cnidosac." Marcus & Marcus state that "The radula is the best character for the distinction of the new species ...." . This is therefore another of the Marcus's problematic species from the Caribbean. To my knowledge this is the only species of Cerberilla reported from that region. The photos alongside from Florida are possibly this species, the brownish one representing a juvenile colour form.

Reference:
• Marcus, E. and E. Marcus. 1960. Some opisthobranchs from the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Publications of the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Texas, 6: 251-264. [Stated date: 1959.]

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (May 4) Cerberilla tanna Marcus & Marcus, 1960. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/cerbtann

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