Hermaea paucicirra
Pruvot-Fol, 1953

Order: SACOGLOSSA
Superfamily: LIMAPONTIOIDEA
Family: Hermaeidae

DISTRIBUTION

West Africa, Spain, western Mediterranean,

PHOTO

Locality: Ibiza, rocky beach of Cala Azul, 1 - 2 m, Spain, Mediterranean Sea, 25 March 2007, sunny location, platform with a natural cover of zooids. Length: 2 mm. Photographer: Jana Kuropka.

This species was described rather tentatively be Pruvot-Fol (1953: Pl. 2, fig. 26) on the basis of a water-colour painting (no specimen). The actual location is unclear - I can only assume Morocco or Senegal. The painting shows the digestive gland ducts to be dark reddish brown. The relatively few cerata, the auriculate rhinophores and shape of the digestive gland ducts are the only distinguishing features available. Since its description Spanish workers have identified the animal illustrated here, with H. paucicirra, and have reported it from both Atlantic and mediterranean coasts of Spain.

  • Cervera, J. L., García-Gómez, J. C., and Ortea, J. A. (1988)  A new species of the genus Hermaea (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia: Sacoglossa) and redescription of two rare sacoglossans of the European malacofauna. Iberus  8: 215-224.
  • Ortea, J. A. (1977) Contribucion a la actualización de la fauna de Opistobranquios Ibericos. Sacoglossos. Boletin de la Estacion Central de Ecologie 6: 75-91.
  • Pruvot-Fol, A. (1953) Etude de quelques opisthobranches de la cote Atlantique du Maroc et du Senegal. Travaux de l'Institute Scientifique Cherifien, Zoologie 5: 1-105.
  • Sanchez-Tocino, L., Ocana, A., and García, F. J. (2000) Contribution to the knowledge of the Opisthobranch Molluscs from the coast of Granada (southeastern Spain). Iberus 18: 1-14.
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2007 (August 1) Hermaea paucicirra Pruvot-Fol, 1953. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/hermpauc

Related messages


Re: Unknown Mediterranean sacoglossan

August 3, 2007
From: Juan Lucas Cervera

Concerning message #20366:

Dear Bill,
Considering the Canary Islands as belonging to the African waters, I can tell you that Hermaea paucicirra was recorded in this archipelago by Ortea et al (2003). The complete reference is included in my recent checklist of the opisthobranch from Spain and Portugal.

  • J. L. Cervera, G. Calado, C. Gavaia, M. A. E. Malaquias, J. Templado, M. Ballesteros, J. C. García-Gómez & C. Megina. (2006) An annotated and updated checklist of the opisthobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Spain and Portugal (including islands and archipelagos). Boletín Instituto Español de Oceanografía  20 (1-4): 1-122

Best.
Lucas.

lucas.cervera@uca.es

Cervera, J.L., 2007 (Aug 3) Re: Unknown Mediterranean sacoglossan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20382

Thanks Lucas,
Bill Rudman

Re: Hermaea paucicirra Pruvot-Fol, 1953

August 2, 2007
From: Bill Rudman

Concerning message #20120:

To accompany Jana's message and Lucas Cervera's reply [#20366], here is a copy of the painting on which Pruvot-Fol based her species "Hermaea paucicirra? "

This species was described rather tentatively be Pruvot-Fol (1953: Pl. 2, fig. 26) on the basis of this water-colour painting by Helene Gantes (no specimen was found in the collection available to Pruvot-Fol). Even the actual location is unclear - I can only assume Morocco or Senegal. The painting shows the digestive gland ducts to be dark reddish brown. The relatively few cerata, the auriculate rhinophores and shape of the digestive gland ducts are the only distinguishing features available. Since 1977, Spanish workers have identified the animal illustrated in Jana's message [#20120] with H. paucicirra, and have reported it from both Atlantic and mediterranean coasts of Spain.

  • Cervera, J. L., García-Gómez, J. C., and Ortea, J. A. (1988) A new species of the genus Hermaea (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia: Sacoglossa) and redescription of two rare sacoglossans of the European malacofauna. Iberus 8: 215-224.
  • Ortea, J. A. (1977) Contribucion a la actualización de la fauna de Opistobranquios Ibericos. Sacoglossos. Boletin de la Estacion Central de Ecologie 6: 75-91.
  • Pruvot-Fol, A. (1953) Etude de quelques opisthobranches de la cote Atlantique du Maroc et du Senegal. Travaux de l'Institute Scientifique Cherifien, Zoologie 5: 1-105.
  • Sanchez-Tocino, L., Ocana, A., and García, F. J. (2000) Contribution to the knowledge of the Opisthobranch Molluscs from the coast of Granada (southeastern Spain). Iberus 18: 1-14.

Best wishes
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Aug 2) Re: Hermaea paucicirra Pruvot-Fol, 1953. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20376

Re: Unknown Mediterranean sacoglossan

August 2, 2007
From: Juan Lucas Cervera

Concerning message #20120:

Dear Jana,
Your identification as Hermaea paucicirra  is correct.

Best.
Lucas.

lucas.cervera@uca.es

Cervera, J.L., 2007 (Aug 2) Re: Unknown Mediterranean sacoglossan. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20366

Thanks Lucas,
Do you know of any records from the west African coast since the original description? I have posted a copy of Pruvot-Fol's 'iconotype' in a separate message.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Aug 2). Comment on Re: Unknown Mediterranean sacoglossan by Juan Lucas Cervera. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20366

Unknown Mediterranean sacoglossan

July 23, 2007
From: Jana Kuropka

Hi,
My name is Jana Kuropka and I am a biology student of the University of Rostock (Germany). In this year march I was on an excursion to the spanish island of Ibiza in the Mediterranean Sea. My project was to find and identify the species of nudibranchs in our project area. I could identify most of the nudibranchs, but one of them was hard to identify for me, especially because of its small size. I think it looks like Hermaea paucicirra, but as far as I could find out this species does not live even near to the Mediterranean Sea, so I guess it is a different species.

Locality: Ibiza, rocky beach of Cala Azul, 1 - 2 m, Spain, Mediterranean Sea, 25 March 2007, sunny location, platform with a natural cover of zooids. Length: 2 mm. Photographer: Jana Kuropka.

I'm sending you both pictures that I took of this nudibranch and I hope you have some idea, what species it could be.

Jana Kuropka

jana.kuropka@uni-rostock.de

Kuropka, J., 2007 (Jul 23) Unknown Mediterranean sacoglossan . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20120

Dear Jana,
Let's see what the  local experts have to say about this species

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Jul 23). Comment on Unknown Mediterranean sacoglossan by Jana Kuropka. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20120