Aplysiopsis sp. 1 from Sulawesi

October 6, 2008
From: Heidi Hösel

My husband an I found this specimen with characteristic coloration again in the Lembeh strait. The body and main part of the cerata is yellow to orange, the foot is pink. The cerata are thick, end in a iridescent blue to purple apex and exhibit a subapically extending white area. The oral tentacles end in purple tips and also exhibit a subapical white blotch. Unfortunately nobody of us succeeded to get the rhinophores. Two purple lines extend at the dorsal side of the head to the oral tentacles. It seems that the propodial tentacles are reduced. There are some similarities but also significant differences to Facelina rhodopos.

Locality: Hey Nus, Lembeh Strait, N-Sulawesi, about 7m, Indonesia, West-Pacific, 22 August 2006, sandy/silty. Length: about 1cm. Photographer: Heidi Hösel, Hermann Ernicke.

Could you please help us identifying it?
Many thanks in advance
Heidi Hösel

hhoesel@gmx.de

Hösel, H., 2008 (Oct 6) Aplysiopsis sp. 1 from Sulawesi. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19041

Dear Heidi,

Although in shape and colour this looks like an aeolid it is a sacoglossan which I am calling Aplysiopsis sp. 1 as it is unnamed at present. Interestingly,  the filamentous red algae your animal is crawling on, is very similar to that in two earlier mesages [#21790, 18876], suggesting it feeds on red, rather than green, algae.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Oct 6). Comment on Aplysiopsis sp. 1 from Sulawesi by Heidi Hösel. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19041

Factsheet

Aplysiopsis sp. 1

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