Runcina coronata
(Quatrefages, 1844)
Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
Superfamily: RUNCINOIDEA
Family: Runcinidae
PHOTO
Small, 2-3mm long. Found in tide pools (0.25m) on algae, Malta, August 1999. PHOTO: Constantine Mifsud
Body dark brown or olive green. There are two curved white lines across the body, one just behind the head and one at the posterior end of the body. They both curve in towards the centre of the body and have a yellowish tinge. The edge of the dorsum, at the head end is also a translucent yellowish colour, without the dark brown pigment.
There is some disagreement in the literature concerning the identity of this species, but it, or a group of similarly colourred species are found in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast of Europe at last as far north as France and the British Isles.
References:
• Thompson, T.E. (1980) New species of the bullomorph genus Runcina from the northern Adriatic Sea. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 46: 154-157.
• Cervera, J.L., Garcia-Gomez, J.C. & Garcia, F.J. (1981) The genus Runcina Forbes & Hanley, 1851 (Opisthobranchia: Cephalaspidea) in the Strait of Gibraltar, with the description of a new species from the Bay of Algeciras. Journal of Molluscan Studies 57: 199-208 (T.E. Thompson Memorial Issue).
See Constantine Mifsud's message and Lucas Cervera's reply.
Authorship detailsRudman, W.B., 1999 (August 28) Runcina coronata (Quatrefages, 1844). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/runccoro
