Flabellina verrucosa from New England

June 20, 2001
From: Paul Young

To accompany my message about salmon-gill Flabellina from New England here are photos of the ones which are red or chocolate brown and are locally called red-gills.

Of the red-gills there are elongated ones with a few growths on their backs [lower left photo] as well as the more common ones with completely covered backs [other photos]. We think these are F. verrucosa, F. pellucida, or F. gracilis.

We have seen them eating and spawning on pink-hearted hydroids. These used to be more common in one of our favorite dive spots, Fort Wetherhill, Jamestown, Rhode Island, but over the years the hydroids have become considerably less common and there are fewer red-gills. Both red-gills and salmon-gills get to be 3-4 cm long.
Paul Young

young@underwater.org

Young, P., 2001 (Jun 20) Flabellina verrucosa from New England. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4622

Dear Paul,
Terry Gosliner has identified these as Flabellina verrucosa. In the bottom right photo I have included an inset of the hydroid I presume they are looking for.

On the lower left photo the inset is showing the white sreak on the rhinophore which is one of the external identification points of this species. The colour and shape of the head and head tentacles are important in identifying species of Flabellina but as your photos show, when these animals are busy looking for food they don't make it easy for you to photograph their important features.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Jun 20). Comment on Flabellina verrucosa from New England by Paul Young. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4622

Factsheet

Flabellina verrucosa

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