Petalifera ramosa from the Dominican Republic

May 17, 2003
From: Elianny Dominguez

Dear Bill,
Here are some pictures of an opistobranch I found at one of my collecting sites [44f], on Udotea, on the Caribbean coast of the Dominican Republic, in a locality named La Caleta. It is 7 mm long and 2 mm width.

It is an anaspidean much like Dolabrifera dolabrifera. The posterior half of the animal is broader than the head region. On the first picture, you can see the head, with the rhinofores. In the second picture [lower left], you can see the coloration of the body. It has a lot of spots of different colors and sizes. And also, the dorsal opening of parapodial chamber. And on the third picture [lower right], you can see what got my attention. In the centre, you can see, what I guess are gills?? In the shape of a small anemone, with seven thin projections. This animal has two of this gills??, on both side of the parapodial chamber. One is bigger than the other. The one on the picture is the biggest one, and it is on the left side. The smaller one is on the right side. And they are both retractible. Is there a group of anaspideans with external and retractible gills, like the ones on Dorids?
Kind regards,
Elianny Dominguez.

eliannydominguez@hotmail.com

Dominguez, E., 2003 (May 17) Petalifera ramosa from the Dominican Republic. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9943

Dear Eli,
At 7mm long this is indeed a juvenile. It is Petalifera ramosa whih seems to have a world-wide distribution. The anemone-like 'gill' is the retractile papillae that are found at the tip of the conical tubercles that cover the body. Have a look at other messages on this page to see the papillae fully extended. I am not sure of the function of these papillae but perhaps they do have a function as secondary gills.

The 'real' gill is essentially internal, lying in what is left of the mantle cavity, which is itself inside the parapodial cavity. I have labelled the anterior 'inhalent opening' into the parapodial cavity.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2003 (May 17). Comment on Petalifera ramosa from the Dominican Republic by Elianny Dominguez. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/9943

Factsheet

Petalifera ramosa

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