Ercolania boodleae
(Baba, 1938)

Order: SACOGLOSSA
Superfamily: LIMAPONTIOIDEA
Family: Limapontiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Throughout Japan from Hokkaido to Kyushu. Possibly also in Australia.

PHOTO

Japan (Kii Peninsula east coast), Depth: 3m, Length: 6mm. Jan. 2000. PHOTOS: Yasuhiro Shirai.

Whole upper body surface except for anterior edge of head, eye-regions and border of foot is black or heavily dusted with black specks. The tip of the rod-like rhinophores are whitish. The branchia papillae (cerata) are blackish with a yellowish-brown (or orange-brown) cap with white specks at the tip - In rare cases there is no brown pigmentation. The anterior end of the foot is rounded which differentitaes this species from Stiliger formicarius, a similar shaped and coloured sacoglossan. It is usually found in the upper levels of the intertidal zone on green algae, such as Cladophora, Enteromorpha, Boodlea and Ulva.

See Ercolania cf. boodleae from southern Australia which is almost certainly the same species.

References:
• Baba,K. (1938) Opisthobranchia of Kii, Middle Japan. Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Kyusyu Imperial University, 6(1): 1-19.
• Baba, K. & Hamatani, I. (1970) The anatomy of Ercolania boodleae (Baba, 1938) from Seto, Kii, Middle Japan (Opisthobranchia: Sacoglossa). Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, 18(4):215-222.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2000 (February 11) Ercolania boodleae (Baba, 1938). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/ercobood

Copyright © Australian Museum, 1998-2010