Hermaea paucicirra
Pruvot-Fol, 1953

Order: SACOGLOSSA
Superfamily: LIMAPONTIOIDEA
Family: Hermaeidae

DISTRIBUTION

West Africa, Spain, western Mediterranean,

PHOTO

Locality: Ibiza, rocky beach of Cala Azul, 1 - 2 m, Spain, Mediterranean Sea, 25 March 2007, sunny location, platform with a natural cover of zooids. Length: 2 mm. Photographer: Jana Kuropka.

This species was described rather tentatively be Pruvot-Fol (1953: Pl. 2, fig. 26) on the basis of a water-colour painting (no specimen). The actual location is unclear - I can only assume Morocco or Senegal. The painting shows the digestive gland ducts to be dark reddish brown. The relatively few cerata, the auriculate rhinophores and shape of the digestive gland ducts are the only distinguishing features available. Since its description Spanish workers have identified the animal illustrated here, with H. paucicirra, and have reported it from both Atlantic and mediterranean coasts of Spain.

• Cervera, J. L., García-Gómez, J. C., and Ortea, J. A. (1988)  A new species of the genus Hermaea (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia: Sacoglossa) and redescription of two rare sacoglossans of the European malacofauna. Iberus  8: 215-224.
• Ortea, J. A. (1977) Contribucion a la actualización de la fauna de Opistobranquios Ibericos. Sacoglossos. Boletin de la Estacion Central de Ecologie 6: 75-91.
• Pruvot-Fol, A. (1953) Etude de quelques opisthobranches de la cote Atlantique du Maroc et du Senegal. Travaux de l'Institute Scientifique Cherifien, Zoologie 5: 1-105.
• Sanchez-Tocino, L., Ocana, A., and García, F. J. (2000) Contribution to the knowledge of the Opisthobranch Molluscs from the coast of Granada (southeastern Spain). Iberus 18: 1-14.

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