Elysia cauze
Marcus, 1957
Order: SACOGLOSSA
Superfamily: ELYSIOIDEA
Family: Elysiidae
DISTRIBUTION
West Atlantic - Florida to Brazil
There is considerable confusion surrounding the identity of the Caribbean species of Elysia. Many species were described by the Marcus's often on few specimens and litle or no information on the colour or colour variation of living animals. The description of the external features is from Eveline Marcus's (1980) review of the genus:
'Large slugs, up to 40mm long alive. They are brownish to greenish grey with black rings around the outlets of skin glands, and with black pigment on the lips and generally on the edges of the parapodia. The rhinophores and the outer side of the parapodia are best with warts. White spots occur on the back and at the tips of the warts'.
References:
• Marcus, Er. (1957) On Opisthobranchia from Brazil (2). Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology, 43(292): 390-486.
• Marcus, Er. & Marcus, Ev. (1967) American opisthobranch mollusks. Part 1, Tropical American opisthobranchs. Studies Tropical Oceanography, Miami, 6(1-2): 1-137. (Figs 1-150, Pl.1, figs 1-9)
• Marcus, Ev. (1980) Review of western Atlantic Elysiidae (Opisthobranchia Ascoglossa) with a description of a new Elysia species. Bull. Mar. Sci. 30(1): 54-79.
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (October 10) Elysia cauze Marcus, 1957. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/elyscauz
