Elysia gordanae
Thompson & Jaklin, 1988

Order: SACOGLOSSA
Superfamily: ELYSIOIDEA
Family: Elysiidae

DISTRIBUTION

Mediterranean - previously described from the Adriatic. Reported here from Spain.

PHOTO

Cala Joncols, [divesite "La Caverna"], Spain, Mediterranean Sea. Depth: 14m depth. 9mm long, April 23, 2000. Photo: Erwin Koehler

Pale yellow-green with a sprinkling of brilliant red superficial specks, most abundant in pinkish areas of the head, pericardium, rhinophores and parapodia. There is a dark green line and white "pustules" (thickened spots) along the parapodial margins. It has a distinctive egg mass, with white eggs and orange extra-capsular yolk. Grows to 10-17mm long.

References:
• Thompson, T.E. & Jaklin, A. (1988) Eastern Mediterranean Opisthobranchia: Elysiidae (Sacoglossa = Ascoglossa). Journal of Molluscan Studies, 54: 59-69.
• Marin, A. & Ros, J. (1988) Los Sacoglosos (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia) del Sudeste Ibérico. Catálogo de las especies y presencia de cloroplastos algales en las mismas. Iberus, 8(1): 25-49.
• Cervera, J.L. & Lopez-Gonzalez, P.J. (1996) New records of two uncommon sacoglossans (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) from the coasts of the Iberian Peninsula. The Veliger, 39(1): 93-95.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (April 8) Elysia gordanae Thompson & Jaklin, 1988. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/elysgord

Related messages


Could this be Elysia gordanae ?

July 31, 2008
From: Dominique Horst

Hi Bill,

Looking at the pictures taken by my friend Eric after a dive, we were surprised to discover a crawling small green slug on the Hypselodoris picta.
Could this be Elysia gordanae?

Locality: Cannes, 18 m, France, Mediterranean sea, 18 July 2007. Length: 5 mm. Photographer: Eric Poisson.

Many thanks for your help and kind regards,
Dom.

dominique.horst@wanadoo.fr

Horst, D., 2008 (Jul 31) Could this be Elysia gordanae ?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20263

Dear Dom,

I can see how your friend missed the elysiid. It is certainly hard to see on the Hypselodoris. The elysiid certainly looks like E. gordanae to me. Hopefully Kathe Jensen can confirm that for us.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Jul 31). Comment on Could this be Elysia gordanae ? by Dominique Horst. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20263

Re: Elysia viridis?

May 7, 2002
From: Kathe R. Jensen

Dear Erwin and Bill,
I think this animal is Elysia gordanae Thompson & Jaklin, 1988. It has iridescent blue dots and a spiral egg mass.
Greetings,
Kathe

jensen@ait.ac.th

Jensen, K.R., 2002 (May 7) Re: Elysia viridis?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/6905

Thanks Kathe,
Bill Rudman

Elysia viridis?

August 8, 2001
From: Erwin Köhler


Dear Bill,

Attached are 2 more photos from Malta.
I took them at Iz-Zurrieg, divesite "Blue Grotto", at 18 m depth, size 12 mm, March 21, 2001. The sea slug was ~3 cm beside the eggmass (diameter 10mm) but not seen "in action". Is it an eggmass of Elysia?

Erwin

Erwin@medslugs.de

Köhler, E., 2001 (Aug 8) Elysia viridis?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4160

Dear Erwin,
It certainly looks like a sacoglossan egg mass but we will need some local knowledge to identify it
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman.

Re: Elysia? from the Mediterranean

April 21, 2001
From: Juan Lucas Cervera.

Dear Bill,
You can add also this reference to that of the Thompson and Jaklin's original description (1988) of Elysia gordanae:

• A. MARIN & J. ROS. (1988) Los Sacoglosos (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia) del Sudeste Ibérico. Catálogo de las especies y presencia de cloroplastos algales en las mismas. Iberus, 8(1): 25-49.
• J.L. CERVERA & P.J. LOPEZ-GONZALEZ. (1996) New records of two uncommon sacoglossans (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) from the coasts of the Iberian Peninsula. The Vleiger, 39(1): 93-95.

Cheers.
Lucas.

lucas.cervera@uca.es

Cervera, J.L., 2001 (Apr 21) Re: Elysia? from the Mediterranean. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4166

Thanks Lucas,
Bill Rudman

Re: Elysia? from the Mediterranean

April 10, 2001
From: Juan Lucas Cervera

Dear Bill / Erwin,
The photo is not that clear and I can't see the details of the edges of parapodia, but it seems to me that this Elysia could be E. gordanae Thompson and Jaklin, 1988.

I would be good to have more detailed photos of this animal.
Cheers.
Lucas.

lucas.cervera@uca.es

Cervera, J.L., 2001 (Apr 10) Re: Elysia? from the Mediterranean. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4161

Thanks Lucas,
Bill Rudman

Re: Elysia? from the Mediterranean

April 10, 2001
From: Kathe R. Jensen

Dear Bill & Erwin,

Maybe this one will not stay on the unidentified page for too long. To me it looks like Elysia gordanae Thompson & Jaklin, 1988. This species was described as pale yellow-green with a dark green line and white "pustules" (thickened spots) along the parapodial margins. It is also said to have pink pigment on rhinophores and pericardium, but this is usually difficult to photograph - with the flash going off, it looks whitish - as in this photo. If you have kept it in an aquarium maybe you have had a chance to see its egg mass, which has white eggs and orange extra-capsular yolk. I would like to have my ID confirmed by someone from around the Mediterranean.

Reference: Thompson, T.E. & Jaklin, A. (1988) Eastern Mediterranean Opisthobranchia: Elysiidae (Sacoglossa = Ascoglossa). Journal of Molluscan Studies 54: 59-69.

Greetings,
Kathe

jensen@ait.ac.th

Jensen, K.R., 2001 (Apr 10) Re: Elysia? from the Mediterranean. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4163

Thanks Kathe,
It's nice to have one move so quickly from the 'unidentified' file. Lucas has sent the same response as you.
Thanks,
Bill Rudman

Elysia? from the Mediterranean

April 9, 2001
From: Erwin Koehler

Dear Bill,
Here is one from the Mediterranean Sea, Spain, Cala Joncols, divesite "La Caverna". It was collected at 14 m depth, the photo was made in an aquarium with several close-up sets, but that didn't work as I hoped it would. It was 9 mm long, April 23, 2000.
Erwin

Erwin@medslugs.de

Koehler, E., 2001 (Apr 9) Elysia? from the Mediterranean. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4079

Dear Erwin,
I am reluctant to dispatch another one to the Unidentified Page because they usually stay there!
Let's see if anyone can help
Bill Rudman