Gastropteron bicornutum
Baba & Tokioka, 1965

Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
Superfamily: PHILINOIDEA
Family: Gastropteridae

DISTRIBUTION

Japan, Papua New Guinea [nth coast], Nth Queensland.

PHOTO

Ose-zaki, west coast of Izu Peninsula, Japan
Depth: 10m, Length: 12mm, 25 April 2001. Photo: Hisako Yamada

This species was described from a number of preserved animals and brief colour notes. I think this is probably the first published colour illustration of the species. In Baba & Tokioka's description of this species they give some brief colour notes from the collector:
" ... yellowish white shaded in places .. with sepia black .. and the whole surfaces of the cepahilc shield, dorsal hump and parapodia are evenly covered by orange-yellow pigment spots."

The other distinctive feature of this species are the two dorsal posterior processes from which the species gets its name. In an earlier message I suggest the photo in Okutani (2000) - Marine Mollusks in Japan, which is labelled G. bicornutum, is a misidentified specimen Siphopteron nigromarginatum [p. 749].

Reference:
• Baba, K. & Tokioka, T. (1965) Two more new species of Gastropteron from Japan, with further notes on G. flavum T. & B. (Gastropoda : Opisthobranchia). Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory, 12(5): 363-377, Text-figs 1-8, Pl.25.
• Baba, K. (1970) List of the Gastropteridae and Runcinidae from Japan. Collecting and Breeding, 32(2): 46-48
• Gosliner, T.M. (1989) Revision of the Gastropteridae (Opisthobranchia: Cephalaspidea) with descriptions of a new genus and six new species. The Veliger, 32(4): 333-381. (Figs 1-32)

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2002 (February 12) Gastropteron bicornutum Baba & Tokioka, 1965. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/gastbico

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