Thuridilla cf. carlsoni from Colombia
June 16, 2001
From: Elianny Domínguez Tejo
Dear Bill,
We thought this was Thuridilla carlsoni. It's 2 cm long. It was found under a rock in a reef coral (at 25 ft), on a beach call “Playa Blanca” (Gaira Bay, Caribbean Coast of Colombia). The rhinophores are dark purple (they're not quite clear on the photo) and there is also a dark purple lateral line, from the beginning of the parapodia to the eyes. The margins of the parapodia are bright yellow.
But recently, I read an article by T. Gosliner (1995, Proceedings of the California Academy of Science) describing a lot of species of the genera Thuridilla including T. carlsoni. And to tell you the truth, now we're not so sure.
Cheers,
Elianny Domínguez Tejo.
elicelotte@latinmail.com
Domínguez Tejo, E., 2001 (Jun 16) Thuridilla cf. carlsoni from Colombia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4523Dear Elianny,
It certainly looks similar to T. carlsoni but I think we would need to know something about its anatomy before it could be compared with that species which is know from the tropical West Pacific. To my knowledge only one species of the genus, Thuridilla picta (Verrill, 1901) is known from the Caribbean, and it is quite similar in colour to T. undula. I am sure Kathe Jensen will be able to help if it is a described species from the region but I can't fins a reference to any similar looking elysiid so you may have an unnamed species.
Reference: Marcus, E. (1980) Review of western Atlantic Elysiidae (Opisthobranchia Ascoglossa) with a description of a new Elysia species. Bulletin of Marine Science, 30(1): 54-79
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
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