Flabellina pedata? from UK

August 12, 2005
From: Judith Oakley

Dear Bill,
On another marina safari today, I found this very attractive sea slug. I was predominantly pink/purple colour. It was on Ulva lactuca with bryozoans and hydroids. Also this spawn was nearby. Can you help with ID of the sea slug and the eggs (I wonder if the eggs are those of Janolus cristatus?).

Locality:  Queen Anne's Battery marina, Plymouth, Devon, UK. Length: 16 mm. 10 August 2005. marina pontoon on Ulva lactuca. Photographer: Judith Oakley

Thank you
Judith Oakley

kf1@mba.ac.uk

Oakley, J.A., 2005 (Aug 12) Flabellina pedata? from UK. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14537

Note added 13 July 2007: These are not the eggs of J. cristatus but see message #20089 showing apparent eggs in Janolus cristatus are in fact capsules containing many eggs.

Dear Judith,
I am pretty sure this is  Facelina auriculata. The red ceratal digestive gland, the red oesophagus which can be seen between the rhinophores, the lamellate rhinophore clubs with a white streak up the front of the club, are all characteristics of this species.

Concerning the egg ribbon. It is possible it belongs to your Facelina, but I don't know what shape egg ribbon it has. It is definitely not that of Janolus cristatus. If you have a look at an earlier message [#1285], there is a photo of its egg ribbon, and although it has the same general shape, the individual eggs are relatively large and form a single row in the ribbon. In your egg ribbon the eggs are small and are in a multiple arrangement.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Aug 12). Comment on Flabellina pedata? from UK by Judith Oakley. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14537

Factsheet

Facelina auriculata

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