Stiliger smaragdinus? from New Caledonia

September 13, 2007
From: Jean-François Hervé

Concerning message #17400:

Dr Bill,

Few days after this Stiliger, I found in the same place as another limapontiid. Initially, I believed that it was a Stiliger smaragdinus but the head and rhinophores are different. Could you give me your opinion.
thank you for this fabulous daily work which you make on the forum.

Locality: Noumea, Ouémo beach, 12 m, New Caledonia, Pacific ocean, January 9th 2007, Algae, Caulerpe (Caulerpa sedoides ). Length: 25 mm. Photographer: Jean-François Hervé.

Jean-François Hervé

jfherve@free.fr

Hervé, J.-F., 2007 (Sep 13) Stiliger smaragdinus? from New Caledonia. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20687

Dear Jean-François,

At first I thought your animal was the one I have tentatively called Ercolania sp 4, because of the shape of the cerata with the tapering papilla at the tip. But the rhinophores are quite different. In your animal each rhinophore is an enrolled tube or even ear-shaped. In Ercolania sp. 4 the rhinophores are thin tentacular structures with a branched duct of the digestive gland.

When I look at your earlier photo of Stiliger smaragdinus [#17400 ] the cerata also have this tentacle-like nipple at the tip of each ceras, but they differ from this animal in having the typical white band at the tip of the rhinophores.

I really can't say what it is. As I have said above, the ceratal tip is a puzzle, as are the short rhinophores. Perhaps Kathe Jensen can give us her opinion.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Sep 13). Comment on Stiliger smaragdinus? from New Caledonia by Jean-François Hervé. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20687

Factsheet

Stiliger smaragdinus

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