Cephalaspidean? from the Seychelles
November 2, 2007
From: R S K Barnes
If anyone knows to which species this small cephalaspidean belongs, would they please be so kind as to tell it to me.
Locality: La Passe, Silhouette, intertidal, Seychelles, Indian, August 2007, on interidal boulder. Length: c. 1cm. Photographer: Richard Barnes.
Many thanks!
Richard Barnes
rsb1001@cam.ac.uk
Barnes, R.S.K., 2007 (Nov 2) Cephalaspidean? from the Seychelles. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21060
Dear Richard,
This does look remarkably like some sand-dwelling cephalaspideans such as Acteon and Pupa but the development of the head into a plough to push their way through the sediment and the sides of the foot into flaps to partially enclose the shel, are both convergent adaptations for living in sandy sediments. This is a species of the Olividae, a family of carnivorous snails. Some species are found in large populations on shallow intertidal shores. They live in tropical waters and southern temperate waters but are absent from northern temperate waters. One clue to its 'snail' rather than 'slug' identity is the single median siphon we can see sticking up behind the shell which sucks water into the mantle cavity. It looks like a species of Ancilla to me but I am no expert on the group.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
