Polybranchia from the Canary Ids
March 20, 2001
From: Erwin Koehler
Dear Bill
Here is one from the Canary Islands, depth 3m, size 15 mm, Gran Canaria Is., divesite "Sardina del Norte", Jan. 18, 2001.
It was taken by Arthur J. Telle: [mercedes@idecnet.com
www.spain-service.com/arturo]
Erwin
Medslugs.Koehler@t-online.de
Koehler, E., 2001 (Mar 20) Polybranchia from the Canary Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3976Dear Erwin,
It looks like the animal Ortea & Templado (1990) describe as Cyerce verdensis but most probably is Polybranchia viridis (Deshayes, 1857) which has been reported from the Canary Ids (Ortea 1981). Ortea's photo looks much like Arthur Telle's. [Until Ortea's record, P. viridis was only known from the Caribbean and the Pacific coast of Mexico]
One big problem is I that I can't see the foot. In Cyerce there is a transverse groove across the sole of the foot behind the head, while in Polybranchia there is not, so it is not possible for me, solely from the photo, to place the species in a genus.
References:
• Ortea, J.A. (1981) Moluscos Opistobranquios de las Islas Canarias. Primera parte: Ascoglosos. Bol. Inst. Espa. Oceano, 6: 179-199
• Ortea, J.A. & Templado, J. (1990) A new species of the genus Cyerce Bergh, 1871, from the Cape Verde Islands (Opisthobranchia: Ascoglossa). The Veliger, 33(2): 202-205.
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