Flabellina affinis from the Israeli Mediterranean

August 4, 2008
From: Dani Barchana

Concerning message #20872:

Since I have seen no photo of Flabellina affinis from our region of the Mediterranean, I thought I should add some. They are very common at depth between 20-30 meters, less in shallower waters.

Locality: Caesareia area, 25-30 meters, Israel, Mediterranean, 24 April 2008, reef. Length: 3 cm. Photographer: Dr. Dani Barchana.

Dr. Dani Barchana

dani.barchana@gmail.com

Barchana, D., 2008 (Aug 4) Flabellina affinis from the Israeli Mediterranean. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21550

Dear Dani,

Thanks very much for the record. Your photos also illustrates a point raised in one of Dominique Horst's recent messages [#21502] about food colour. In this case we can see the colour of the digestive gland in the cerata is identical to the colour of the hydroid polyp the aeolid is undoubtedly feeding on.

I have also included some close-ups to show the similarities and differences between this species and F. ischitana. Both are very similar in colour, both have regular rings on the rhinophores and cerata arranged on common bases, but in F. affinis there is an opaque purple band below the ceratal tip which obscures our view of the upper end of the digestive gland duct. This purple band is absent in F. ischitana. 

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Aug 4). Comment on Flabellina affinis from the Israeli Mediterranean by Dani Barchana. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21550

Factsheet

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