Spurilla sp. 2
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Aeolidiidae
DISTRIBUTION
Caribbean
PHOTO
Upper: St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica, West Indies. Photo: R. Gundersen. Lower: on Thalassia blade in 1m 10mm long alive. Whale Cay, Abaco, Bahamas on June 26, 1995. [Bahamian Seashells: pl. 121, fig. 746A] Photo: Colin Redfern
Brownish background colour with whitish spots. Rhinophores lamellate, not papillate.
I suspect some of the white spotted animals from the Caribbean which have been tentatively identified on the Forum as Spurilla neapolitana [see messages from Colombia - message 1, message 2] may be Spurilla creutzbergi but I can't see enough detail in their rhinophores. Some, such as David Behrens animal from Belize, cannot be this species because the rhinophores are clearly ridged transversely.
Clearly this is another Caribbean group that could do with some anatomical work.
References:
• Marcus, E, & Marcus, E. (1970) Opisthobranchs from Curacao and faunistically related regions. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands, 33: 1-129.
• Redfern. C., 2001. Bahamian Seashells: a Thousand Species from Abaco, Bahamas.
Rudman, W.B., 2003 (October 21) Spurilla sp. 2 [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/spursp2
Related messages
Spurilla sp. from the Bahamas
October 22, 2003
From: Colin Redfern
Dear Bill,
Concerning Ross Gundersen's message which you have suggested may be Spurilla creutzbergi
Attached is an additional view of the 10mm animal figured as Spurilla sp. in Bahamian Seashells (pl. 121, fig. 746A), together with a closeup of one of the rhinophores. It was collected from a Thalassia blade in 1m at Whale Cay, Abaco, Bahamas on June 26, 1995.
I'm pretty certain that this is the same species that Ross Gundersen has recorded from Jamaica, but these photos show that the rhinophores have oblique lamellae, rather than tubercles.
Lucas Cervera has been studying this species, and will no doubt be interested to learn of Ross' records from Jamaica.
In a separate message I will send photos of what I am calling Spurilla creutzbergi from the Bahamas.
Best wishes,
Colin
bahamianseashells@att.net
Redfern, C., 2003 (Oct 22) Spurilla sp. from the Bahamas. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11308Thanks Colin,
I will move Ross Gundersen's animal to a Page. As you show in these photos, the rhinophores are lamellate not papillate. This leaves me with another puzzle I am posting today - another aeolid from Ross, which seems quite like your photos of S. creutzbergi but with lamellate rhinophores
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
Spurilla creutzbergi? from Jamaica
October 21, 2003
From: Ross W. Gundersen
Dear Bill:
Here is another sea slug from Jamaica. As I said in my first message, all specimens were collected from St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica, West Indies. Most specimens were collected using a light weight dredge and photographed by R. Gundersen.
Here is Spurilla neapolitana. Curved cerata and transverse markings on rhinophores. Dredged at 5m in Thallassia.
Best wishes,
Ross
ross.gundersen@uwp.edu
Gundersen, R.W., 2003 (Oct 21) Spurilla creutzbergi? from Jamaica. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11133Note added 22 Oct 2003: see Colin Redfern's message about the 'real' S. creutzbergi.
Thanks Ross,
I think this is what Marcus & Marcus (1970) called Berghia creutzbergi. They described this species from a single specimen from Curacao which they describe as
Alive 15mm long, brown with white spots on back and cerata. Tentacles had brown bases and white distal halves.... [In preserved specimen ] rhinophores beset with .. tubercles on all sides ..
I suspect some of the white spotted animals from the Caribbean which have been tentatively identified on the Forum as Spurilla neapolitana [see messages from Colombia - message 1, message 2] may also be Spurilla creutzbergi but I can't see enough detail in their rhinophores. Some, such as David Behrens animal from Belize, cannot be this species because the rhinophores are clearly ridged transversely.
Clearly this is another Caribbean group that could do with some anatomical work.
• Marcus, E, & Marcus, E. (1970) Opisthobranchs from Curacao and faunistically related regions. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands, 33: 1-129.
Best wishes
Bill Rudman
