Aegires lemoncello
Fahey and Gosliner, 2004

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Aegiridae

DISTRIBUTION

Papua New Guinea, South Africa, eastern Australia.

PHOTO

Upper photo:   Aegires lemoncello   CASIZ 086465, photo by T. Gosliner, Pig Island, Papua New Guinea, 4 mm. Lower photos: SEM od radula. Scale bars: C = 10µm, D = 20µm. Photos from Fahey & Gosliner (2004).

The background color is pale yellowish white to creamy yellow. The papillae are deeper yellow, with a single ring of orange approximately half way along the length. The rhinophores are the same deeper yellow color as the papillae and the gill branches are pale yellow. The dorsum has elongate papillae that have flattened tops. The rhinophore sheath is slightly elevated and protected by a single elongated papilla on the outer edge. The fill is protected on the anterior side by five elongate papillae. Posterior to the gill are two small papillae near the center-line. This species is very small, approximately 4 mm in length.

Externally and internally this species does not resemble any other Aegires species. The tubercles on A. lemoncello are soft papillae, and there is only one tubercle that lies at the outer side of the rhinophores. The tubercles on other Aegires species are firmer and spiculate.

• Fahey, S. J. & Gosliner, T. M. (2004) A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Aegiridae Fischer, 1883 (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Phanerobranchia) with Descriptions of Eight New Species and a Reassessment of Phanerobranch Relationships. Proceedings of the CaliforniaAcademy of Sciences, 55, (34): 613–689, 82 figs., 4 tables (Appendix).

Note: This species was previously Aegires sp. 2 on Forum

Authorship details
Fahey, S. J. & Gosliner, T. M. , 2005 (July 8) Aegires lemoncello Fahey and Gosliner, 2004. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/aegilemo

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