Elysia tuca from Bermuda

September 7, 2007
From: Kimberly Holzer

Concerning message #20389:

Dear Bill,

Here is a picture of a sea slug that I found at one of my seagrass study sites in Bermuda. It was attached to a new leaf at the base of a Thalassia testudinum short shoot. Do you know what species it is?

Locality: Bailey's Bay, 2 m , Bermuda, Atlantic Ocean, 22 August 2007, Thalassia testudinum seagrass meadow. Length: 5-8 mm. Photographer: Kimberly Holzer.

Thanks in advance,
Kim

holzer@virginia.edu

Holzer, K.K., 2007 (Sep 7) Elysia tuca from Bermuda. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20626

Dear Kim,
There are quite a few species of Elysia in the Caribbean and some of them, like species in the Indo-West Pacific, are quite difficult to tell apart. I am pretty sure this is Elysia tuca which is characterised in part by the white patch on the head with a white line going partly up each rhinophore. It is normally associated with Halimeda. Another species, Elysia serca, is usually found on sea grasses but it has a white patch on the edge of each parapodia, and is rather different in shape from your animal, so I suspect your finding of it on Thalassia may have no biological significance.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Sep 7). Comment on Elysia tuca from Bermuda by Kimberly Holzer. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20626

Factsheet

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