Elysia from Florida

January 12, 2002
From: Kathleen Archer

Hi Everyone,
I am culturing the macroalga Penicillus, and began by purchasing specimens from Carolina Biological. I believe the specimens were collected in the Florida Keys. About 4 weeks after planting the alga in an aquarium tank, there appeared a number of sea slugs. They grew in size, which suggested to me they must be feeding on something in the tank. The algal culture is not pure, and there are a number of other algae growing.

The slugs are a nice green color, and since I am interested in slugs which retain chloroplasts from the algae they eat I would like to know what it is. It looks the most like Elysia papillosa, although the papillate projections from the parapodia aren't quite like those in the photograph posted on the Forum. The slugs are about 10 - 15 mm long. If anyone can suggest an identification I would be most grateful. Thanks for your help,
Kathleen Archer

kathleen.archer@trincoll.edu

Archer, K., 2002 (Jan 12) Elysia from Florida. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5925

Dear Kathleen,
Eveline Marcus (1980) published a review of the Caribbean Elysiidae but I find it very difficult to use, and lacks good descriptions of the shape and colour of the living animals. The only character comprehensively reviewed is the branching of the dorsal vessels on the inside (dorsal) wall of the parapodia. Your animal has some fairly distinctive characters in shape and colour and appears to have tubercles on the renopericardial swelling so hopefully someone familiar with the fauna should be able to identify it for you.

Kathe Jensen (1983) does record Elysia papillosa preferring Penicillus capitatus and Halimeda tuna so you could be on the right track.

• Jensen, K.R. (1983) Factors affecting feeding selectivity in herbivorous ascoglossa (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia). J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 66: 135-148.
• Marcus, Ev (1980) Review of western Atlantic Elysiidae (Opisthobranchia Ascoglossa) with a description of a new Elysia species. Bulletin of Marine Science, 30(1): 54-79.

Good Luck with your research. Hopefully we can have your animal identified soon
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Jan 12). Comment on Elysia from Florida by Kathleen Archer. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5925

Factsheet

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