Haminoea cyanomarginata
Heller & Thompson, 1983

Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
Superfamily: HAMINOEOIDEA
Family: Haminoeidae

DISTRIBUTION

Known from two records - Sudan, Red Sea & Turkey, Mediterranean.

PHOTO

Çeþme, Ýzmir, Turkey, Depth: 15m. Size: 0.5cm. 24 September 2002. Photo: Dr Nazmi Kural.

Haminoea cyanomarginata was described by heller & Thompson (1983) from a single specimen, 5.5mm long alive, from the Sudanese Red Sea, between Port Sudan and Suakin. In shape it has a number of distinctive external features such as the well developed rounded posterior lobes on the head shield and the parapodal flaps which only extend about half way back along the shell. The posterior end of the shell is covered by the infrapallial lobe which has a posterior extension, masquerading as the posterior end of the foot. It has a number of distinctive colour features, the most prominent being the purple edge to the parapodia, head shield, and infrapallial lobe. The body, and mantle, which can be seen through the transparent shell, is translucent with large white or cream blotches. In Heller & Thompson's animal there were 2 large medially situated yellowish patches on the head, and in the Turkish specimens there is one large patch. The Sudanese animal, and one of the Turkish animals, in the photo alongside, had some yellowish spots, and a few purplish spots can be seen in the Turkish photos, suggesting that the presence of yellow and purple spots is variable.

It is probable that this a lessepsian migrant which has entered the Mediterranean from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal. However its distribution is known from two records - the original description from Sudan, and the message here from Turkey - so it is difficult to be sure, until we have a better idea of its geographical distribution,, whether it originated in the Indo-West Pacific or the Mediterranean.

References:
• Heller & Thompson, T.E. 1983 Opisthobranch molluscs of the Sudanese Red Sea. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 78(4): 317-348

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (January 3) Haminoea cyanomarginata Heller & Thompson, 1983. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/hamicyan

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