Philine pruinosa
(Clark, 1827)

Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
Superfamily: PHILINOIDEA
Family: Philinidae

DISTRIBUTION

Known from NE Atlantic from Norway to the Mediterranean

PHOTO

Upper: Living animal. Egersund, 25 metres, Norway, Norwegian Sea, 15. July 2006, Rocks and shell sand. Length: Less than 1 cm. Photographer: Erling Svensen.
Lower: Drawings of shell and living animal from Norway - from Sars, 1878 [Pilsbry, 1896:  Pl.4 figs 74-78]

Little is known of the living animal but previous information summarised by Thompson (1976). From that  we know that the posterior shield has a deep posterior sinus, and the parapodia are relativley small. Form Erling Svensen's photos it would seem the animal is translucent with fine white specks all over the body, and an opaque white border to the edge of the parapodia, the head shield and posterior shield.   Some authors place this species in the genus Laona, but at this stage in our knowledge of the philinids there are not good grounds to try subdividing them into separate genera.

• Pilsbry, H.A. (1896) Manual of Conchology; Structural and Systematic with Illustrations of the Species. [Ed:  G.W.Tryon] Vol. 16, 251pp, Pls 1-71.
• Rudman,W.B. (1972) The genus Philine (Opisthobranchia, Gastropoda). Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London, 40(3): 171-87, 10 figs.
• Sars, G.O. (1878) Bidrag til Kundskaben om Norges Arktiske Fauna 1. Mollusca Regionis Articae Norvegiae. Universitetsprogram for foerste halvar 1878: 1-467, Tab I-XVI.
• Thompson, T. E. (1976) Biology of opisthobranch molluscs. London, Ray Society no. 151.  1-207.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2007 (March 8) Philine pruinosa (Clark, 1827). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/philprui

Copyright © Australian Museum, 1998-2010