Aegires malinus
Fahey and Gosliner, 2004
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Aegiridae
DISTRIBUTION
Only reported from the Batangas Region of the Philippine Islands.
PHOTO
Upper right: Aegires malinus. CASIZ 085889, photo by T. Gosliner, Bebbit, Philippines, 8 mm. Lower photos: SEM of radula. Scale bar: C = 10µm, D = 20µm. Photos from Fahey & Gosliner (2004).
The background color of this species is reddish-brown. The raised rhinophore pocket is the same as the background color, and the lobed frill and tubercles protecting the gill and rhinophores are apple-green. There are three, flat-topped protective tubercles at both the gill and at the rhinophore pockets. On the dorsum are tiny pointed, randomly scattered tubercles. This species ranges from 14–15 mm in length.
Externally this species does not resemble any other Aegires species in either color or body texture. It is only one of two Aegires species that does not have prominent dorsal tubercles (see also Aegires hapsis Fahey and Gosliner, 2004). The gill protective appendages that are found in all Aegires species are unusual in that they are tall, narrow, but shorter than the gill leaves. Normally in Aegires the gill is small and almost completely hidden by the appendage.
- Fahey, S. J. & Gosliner, T. M. (2004) A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Aegiridae Fischer, 1883 (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Phanerobranchia) with Descriptions of Eight New Species and a Reassessment of Phanerobranch Relationships. Proceedings of the CaliforniaAcademy of Sciences, 55, (34): 613–689, 82 figs., 4 tables (Appendix).
Fahey, S. J. & Gosliner, T. M., 2005 (July 8) Aegires malinus Fahey and Gosliner, 2004. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/aegimali
