Elysia from the Bahamas

August 27, 2005
From: Anne DuPont


Hello Bill,
I found this Elysia in the southern Bahamas. Can you identify it please? The rhinophores look a little like E. papillosa, but the color and markings look like E. tuca. It was found in the same bay that I found typical specimens of E. tuca and E. papillosa.

Location: Hurricane Hole 2, Stocking Island, Exumas, Bahamas, February 7, 2005. Depth appx 6 feet of water. Size was approximately 7 mm. It was found on algae that I think was Udotea flabellum.

Thank you,
Anne DuPont
Delray Beach, FL

akdupont@bellsouth.net

Dear Anne,
On the hope that the food might help I had a look at the food of the two species you mentioned. Kerry Clark (1984) reports E. papillosa feeding on algae of the genera Halimeda, Penicillus and Udotea and  E. tuca is reported to mainly feed on Halimeda, which suggests that neither can be canceled out on food specificity. I think we will have to see if Kathie Jensen has an opinion. To my untutored eye they are not papillate enough for E. papillosa and in that species and E. tuca the upper half of the rhinophores are white while in your animal they are not.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Aug 27). Comment on Elysia from the Bahamas by Anne DuPont. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14645

Factsheet

Elysia sp. 13

Related messages

  1. Re: Elysia from the Bahamas
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, September 13, 2005

Show factsheet and all related messages