Flabellina verrucosa from New England
June 20, 2001
From: Paul Young
To accompany my message about salmon-gill Flabellina from New England here are photos of the ones which are red or chocolate brown and are locally called red-gills.
Of the red-gills there are elongated ones with a few growths on their backs [lower left photo] as well as the more common ones with completely covered backs [other photos]. We think these are F. verrucosa, F. pellucida, or F. gracilis.
We have seen them eating and spawning on pink-hearted hydroids. These used to be more common in one of our favorite dive spots, Fort Wetherhill, Jamestown, Rhode Island, but over the years the hydroids have become considerably less common and there are fewer red-gills. Both red-gills and salmon-gills get to be 3-4 cm long.
Paul Young
young@underwater.org
Young, P., 2001 (Jun 20) Flabellina verrucosa from New England. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4622
Dear Paul,
Terry Gosliner has identified these as Flabellina verrucosa. In the bottom right photo I have included an inset of the hydroid I presume they are looking for.
On the lower left photo the inset is showing the white sreak on the rhinophore which is one of the external identification points of this species. The colour and shape of the head and head tentacles are important in identifying species of Flabellina but as your photos show, when these animals are busy looking for food they don't make it easy for you to photograph their important features.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.
Related messages
-
Re: Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
From: Jackie Hildering & Glen Miller, November 5, 2007 -
Flabellina verrucosa in West Puget Sound
From: Dave Washburn, September 15, 2007 -
Flabellina verrucosa from Massachusetts
From: Charlotte Richardson, August 18, 2007 -
Flabellina verrucosa egg masses
From: Jackie Hildering, March 26, 2007 -
Flabellina verrucosa - odd food choice?
From: Alan Shepard, April 18, 2005 -
Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
From: Bruce Wight, October 24, 2003 -
Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
From: Marli Wakeling, July 2, 2003 -
Flabellina verrucosa from British Colunbia
From: Marli Wakeling, June 27, 2003 -
Flabellina verrucosa with short cerata
From: Robert Eriksson, May 13, 2003 -
Re: Flabellina? from Norway
From: Jussi Evertsen, April 30, 2003 -
Re: Flabellina? from Norway
From: Kåre Telnes, April 30, 2003 -
Flabellina? from Norway
From: Kåre Telnes, April 25, 2003 -
Flabellina verrucosa from Massachusetts, USA
From: Alan Shepard, February 4, 2003 -
Re: Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
From: Marli Wakeling, July 25, 2002 -
Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
From: Wendy Atkinson, July 19, 2002 -
Re: Cuthona punicea
From: Sandra Millen, June 25, 2002 -
Flabellina verrucosa from Massachusetts
From: Paul Young, June 22, 2002 -
Flabellina verrucosa with hydroids from Canada
From: Marli Wakeling, April 6, 2002 -
Flabellina verrucosa from British Columbia
From: Marli Wakeling, March 23, 2002 -
Flabellina verrucosa - photo of tail
From: Bernard Picton , July 22, 2001 -
Re: Flabellina verrucosa feeding on scyphistomae
From: Bill Rudman, February 16, 2001 -
Re: An aeolid from Massachusetts
From: Chad Sisson, February 15, 2001 -
Re: An aeolid from Massachusetts
From: Alan Shepard, February 13, 2001 -
Re: An aeolid from Massachusetts
From: Chad Sisson, February 13, 2001 -
Re: aeolids from Massachusetts
From: Terry Gosliner, February 13, 2001 -
An aeolid from Massachusetts
From: Alan Shepard, February 10, 2001 -
Flabellina verrucosa from Canada
From: Marli Wakeling, December 20, 2000 -
Brown form of Flabellina verrucosa
From: Betsey Hansen, August 31, 1999 -
Flabellina verrucosa from Maine
From: Betsey Hansen, August 31, 1999 -
Re: Flabellina verrucosa? from New York
From: Terry Gosliner, August 29, 1999 -
Flabellina verrucosa? off Long Island, NY
From: Betsey Hansen, August 27, 1999