Eubranchus misakiensis from Vancouver, Canada

May 25, 2002
From: David Behrens

Dear Bill,
Marli Wakeling's photos of this aeolid from British Columbia are very interesting. I am quite sure it is Eubranchus misakiensis Baba 1960 from Japan. I published a note years ago after learning that this species had been introduced into San Francisco Bay, where it has become quite well established. I had heard from Gordy Robilliard and others that it also occurred up in Washington and Canada but had never received any kind of proof. Marli's specimens are from the north east end of Vancouver Island, British Columbia at Broughton Archipelago. Apparently there were numerous specimens and has been observed yearly for some time now. I now wonder if this indeed was an introduction to the west coast of North America from Japan, or if Baba found it and described it from Japan before someone did here? Would we have said it was introduced to Japan if Gordy or I had described it when we found it in the 1970's? Or could this just be a circum-North Pacific species? Food for thought.

• Behrens, D. W. 1971. Eubranchus misakiensis Baba 1960 (Nudibranchia: Eolidacea) in San Francisco Bay. The Veliger, 14(2): 214-215.

Dave

dave@seachallengers.com

Behrens, D., 2002 (May 25) Eubranchus misakiensis from Vancouver, Canada. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7064

Thanks Dave,
Your comments and Marli's most recent photo have encouraged me to pull out some messages on the same topic which have been languishing in my backlog. As you will see from my earlier comments, I have had some difficulty understandimg how variable this species is. It certainly would be interesting to look at colour variation in different populations of this 'species' and to compare their anatomy.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (May 25). Comment on Eubranchus misakiensis from Vancouver, Canada by David Behrens. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/7064

Factsheet

Eubranchus misakiensis

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