Information on Ercolania fuscovittata

March 3, 2005
From: Michael Andres

I've been trying to find more out about this little guy and wanted to know if any of you know about them. I live in Florida, USA and one of my professors said that this may be an invasive species in our area. I thought I'd do a search on the web for them because I have found several sea hares on the beach but never one of these.

I know most nudi's aren't like the sea hares but as I said, I can't find any info on Ercolania fuscovittata.
Thanks for your help,
Mike

articcatfish@aol.com

Andres, M., 2005 (Mar 3) Information on Ercolania fuscovittata. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13234

Dear Michael,
I can't find much about Ercolania fuscovittata on the web, but there is a bit more if you search for its earlier name Stiliger fuscovittattus Lance 1962. It  grows to about 10 mm as is found on red filamentous algae such as Polysiphonia and Callithamnion. It is found down the west coast of Nth America from Alaska to Mexico, in both marine and estuarine conditions. It is fairly transparent so the colour of its food in its digestive system shows through the body wall making it well camouflaged on its algal hosts. There is a photo at http://slugsite.us/bow/pan/stiliger.html.

It is reported as a possible invader in Texas & Florida but I have no information on that. If someone can help us out with photos and any information on it from either the west coast or the Caribbean I would be grateful.

  • Behrens, D.W. (1991) Pacific Coast Nudibranchs. 2nd Ed. SEa Challengers, Monterey. 107pp.
  • Millen, S.V. (1989) Opisthobranch range extensions in Alaska with the first records of Cuthona viridis (Forbes, 1840) from the Pacific. The Veliger, 32: 64-68
  • Trowbridge, C.D. (1994) Defensive responses and palatability of specialist herbivores: Predation on NE Pacific ascoglossan gastropods. Marine Ecology - Progress Series, 105: 61-70.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Mar 3). Comment on Information on Ercolania fuscovittata by Michael Andres. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13234

Factsheet

Stiliger fuscovittatus

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