Re: Sacoglossan - algal mimic

December 23, 2002
From: Kathe R. Jensen

Dear Bill & Bruce,
Concerning the algal mimic - If I was frozen, this picture certainly warmed me up. I have never seen anything like it. Of course the cerata are similar to those of Stiliger smaragdinus, but as you say, the rhinophores are all wrong. I wonder whether this one is mimicking Caulerpa racemosa or Valonia/ Boergesenia. Some species of Valonia and also Boergesenia have these large cylindrical utricles that look similar to the cerata of this animal.

I noticed that the digestive gland in the rhiniphores have short lateral branches, resembling those in Placida dendritica and Ercolania coerulea. It would be very interesting to look at its radular teeth (wishful thinking in the holiday season).

Best wishes,
Kathe

krjensen@zmuc.ku.dk

Jensen, K.R., 2002 (Dec 23) Re: Sacoglossan - algal mimic. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8700

Dear Kathe,
Thanks for your comments. As it reminds me a bit of your Ercolania endophytophaga, and appears to have simple unfolded and ungrooved rhinophores, I am going to call it Ercolania sp. 4. I could of course be quite wrong, but I don't like leaving it lost amongst 'the unidentified'.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2002 (Dec 23). Comment on Re: Sacoglossan - algal mimic by Kathe R. Jensen. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8700

Factsheet

Ercolania sp. 4

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