Flabellina verrucosa? off Long Island, NY

August 27, 1999
From: Betsey Hansen


Bill,
This slide is of what I believe is Coryphella rufibranchialis. Besides the color difference, this one looks more transparent than the slide from Maine. The one's in Maine also had a chocolate version in addition to the red version, which I did not find in New York. This one was taken in the Atlantic Ocean on a beach dive off Long
Island New York. I found it at about 12 feet (4 meters). They were all found around pink hydroids. Their eggs were laid in thin white haphazard spirals on the hydroids. The slide was taken with a Nikonos V with a 1 to 1 macro. Length approx 1 inch (25mm)

Regards,
Betsey Hansen

BHScuba@aol.com

Hansen, E., 1999 (Aug 27) Flabellina verrucosa? off Long Island, NY. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1245

Dear Betsey,
Thanks for the wonderful photos of three aeolids you have sent. The ones from Maine haven't as yet arrived. Sorry I can't identify them on the spot for you, but I am sure we won't have to wait long.

If this is Coryphella rufibranchialis then it is more correctly called Flabellina verrucosa. There is a history of confusion in the names of this genus on both sides of the Atlantic. I'll put up some comments when we get them definitively identified. I don't want to perpetuate the confusion by further misidentifications.

Your photos are useful reminder to me of how difficult it is for non-professionals to identify species they find or photograph. My first act when I find something I don't recognise is to dissect it and look at the radula to confirm what family or genus is belongs to, because the outside can sometimes be very misleading. I have just posted a page of photos of the radula of Flabellina poenicia which illustrates a tooth shape which is very characteristic of the genus. Looking at your three species I am not even sure they are all flabellinids.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 1999 (Aug 27). Comment on Flabellina verrucosa? off Long Island, NY by Betsey Hansen. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/1245

Factsheet

Flabellina verrucosa

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