Stiliger fuscovittatus
Lance, 1962

Order: SACOGLOSSA
Superfamily: LIMAPONTIOIDEA
Family: Limapontiidae

DISTRIBUTION

West coast of Nth America from Ketchikan, Alaska to Gulf of California, Mexico, in both marine and estuarine conditions.  [Reported as invader in Texas & Florida].

PHOTO

Dana Landing, San Diego, California, April 1961. Photo: Jim Lance.

Aeolid-like in shape, the anterior surface of this sacoglossan is covered with cerata.  The rhinophores are simple. The body is white to dirty-white with reddish brown spots.  It is fairly transparent so the colour of its food in its digestive system shows through the body wall making it well camouflaged on its algal hosts There is a reddish-brown streak down the posterior face of each rhinophore which continues backwards on the body (hence its name) running posteriorly from the rhinophores.   Specimens reach 15 mm in length.

This species feeds on filamentous red algae, such as such as Polysiphonia and Callithamnion, (but not the Microcladia used in this photo as a background).

• Behrens, D.W. & A. Hermosillo.  2005.  Eastern Pacific Nudibranchs - A guide to the opisthobranchs from Alaska to Central America. Sea Challengers. 137 pp. [note: photo #66 not S. fuscovittatus]
• Lance, J. 1962.  A new Stiliger and a new Corambella (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia) from the northwestern Pacific. The Veliger 5(1):33-38.
• Millen, S.V. (1989) Opisthobranch range extensions in Alaska with the first records of Cuthona viridis (Forbes, 1840) from the Pacific. The Veliger, 32: 64-68
• Trowbridge, C.D. (1994) Defensive responses and palatability of specialist herbivores: Predation on NE Pacific ascoglossan gastropods. Marine Ecology - Progress Series, 105: 61-70.

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