Re: Elysia bangtawaensis

August 10, 2007
From: Skip Pierce

Hi Bill
I do not have anything useful to contribute to the messages on E. bangtawaensis, however, the resemblence of the external morphology between it and Elysia chlorotica is remarkable indeed. Really, at least from what I can make out in the photos, other than the few larger orange spots at the edges of the parapodia (and, generally, I do not think colored spots are a meaningful taxonomic characterstic in elysiids), I don't think an E. chlorotica label (in the absence of geography, egg masses, etc, of course) would have been a surprise. Is the food of E. bangtwaensis known??

Skip

pierce@cas.usf.edu

Pierce, S.K., 2007 (Aug 10) Re: Elysia bangtawaensis. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20443

Dear Skip,
I agree it looks like E. chlorotica - but I guess you don't have much choice if you are going to evolve into a leaf !  I know colour is not all its sometimes cracked up to be in sacoglossan identification, but I feel obliged to temper your comment about colour spots by saying that colour differences, like anatomical differences, can be very important, but only after they have been rigorously evaluated. Unfortunately too many species in the past were based on one, or a few animals, so there was no understanding of colour variability between individuals, or of colour changes which occur during the life of an individual. And then of course there are the species which have been described from preserved decolourised specimens - a practice which I find incomprehensible.

Concerning its food - I don't think Swennen mentioned its food, but I will check next time I'm at the museum.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Aug 10). Comment on Re: Elysia bangtawaensis by Skip Pierce. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20443

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