Flabellina falklandica
(Eliot, 1907)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Flabellinidae

DISTRIBUTION

Wide distribution in the southern Ocean (Magellanic region [sthn South America from River Plate, Argentina to 30°S, Chile], Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Crozet Island.)

PHOTO

This photo was taken by Michael Schroedl during "Huinay Fjords Expedition 2006") at depths between 10 and 20 m and temperatures steadily below 10 °C [off the southern Patagonian iceshield ].

Translucent yellow orange, with white tips to the smooth rhinophores, oral tentacles and cerata. White line borders the posterior part of the foot, and there is a white median line running forward a distance, from the posterior tip of foot. The cerata are arranged in transverse rows of 5 or 6 cerata on each side, the rows being grouped into clusters, one forward of the pericardium, and about four posterior to the pericardium on each side.

In Eliot's description he describes the colour as 'uniformly yellowish or greenish white, with traces of white lines on the tail of one specimen'. Although this description is probably based on the preserved specimens, the white lines on the posterior foot appear to be a good character for this species. It grows up to 40 mm in length [Schroedl, 2003].

• Eliot, C.N.E. (1907) Nudibranchs from New Zealand and the Falkland Islands. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London, 7(6): 327-361, Pl.28.
• Odhner, N.H. (1926) Die Opisthobranchien. In: Further Zoological Results of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition 1901-1903 under the direction of Dr. Otto Nordenskjold. Vol. 2(1).  P.A. Norstedt & Söner, Stockholm, 1-100. (Pls. 1-3)
• Odhner, N.H. (1944)  Mollusca: Nudibranchia and Scaphopoda with zoogeographical remarks and explanations. Det Norske Videnskaps Akademi i Oslo. [In:] Scientific results of the Norwegian Antarctic Expeditions 1927-l928 et seq. Vol. 2(21). I Kommisjon hos Jacob Dybwad., Oslo, 1-48, Pl.1.
• Schroedl, M. (2003) Sea Slugs of Southern South America. ConchBooks, Hackenheim. 1-165.

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