Another Samoan Elysia?

May 24, 2002
From: Don Barclay


Bill,
Here's another of the common but confusing slugs that I find in American Samoa. I always figured it was a form of Elysia ornata, too, but after examining it closely and watching its behaviour, I think it probably is not. These don't ever have the black marginal line like every other example of E. ornata on your site, and the spotting is a bit different, especially the absence or near absence of black dots. They are much more hesitant to flare their parapodia than E. ornata, and when you find them they are typically folded up and streamlined like Thuridilla vatae, often found in the same areas. While lacking the black marginal markings, they do have the orange line, and the head and rhinophores are very similar to the typical E. ornata. What do you think?

This one was also found on 13 July 2001, around 1800 local, in about one meter of water on an algae-covered boulder, middle of Coconut Point, Nu'uuli, American Samoa. It measured 22mm.

Looking through my new copy of Marine Molluscs of Japan (edited by Okutani) I found a slug that looks like this one. It is on page 764, and is identified as Elysia kushimotoensis.

Fa'afetai,
Don Barclay

n5ols@samoatelco.com

Barclay, D., 2002 (May 24) Another Samoan Elysia?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4822

Dear Don,
I'm afraid this is one of the messages that has been 'lost' in the backlog but since I posted the Christmas Island Elysia message, I have had an interesting message from Nishina Masayoshi in Japan, which I will also post today which links E. kushimotoensis with Elysia rufescens. Your animal does indeed look like the photo in Marine Molluscs of Japan, but as I discuss in Nishina's message, it would seem that the odest name for this species is E. rufescens.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (May 24). Comment on Another Samoan Elysia? by Don Barclay. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4822

Factsheet

Elysia rufescens

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