Sea slug night fever: 39 new records of elusive heterobranchs in the western Mediterranean (Mollusca: Gastropoda)
Author
Salvador, Xavier
0000-0003-3039-7566
Author
Fernández-Vilert, Robert
0000-0002-2812-4414
Author
Moles, Juan
0000-0003-4511-4055
text
Journal of Natural History
2022
2022-05-18
56
5 - 8
265
310
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2022.2040630
journal article
10.1080/00222933.2022.2040630
38f6df24-838f-409a-90df-b56087e6a9bc
1464-5262
6758438
Aegires sublaevis
Odhner, 1932
(
Figure 2
(f))
Material examined
Cala Maset
caves,
Sant Feliu de Guíxols
(
Spain
),
41°47
ʹ
10”N
,
3°2
ʹ
44”E
,
16 February 2018
,
1 m
depth
, 1 spc
., adult,
L =
15 mm
.
External morphology
Body elongate, rough, angulated with central part of dorsum flattened, with black marks on dorsum and laterals; body colour variable white to yellow. Branchial leaves protected by three tubercles, the central one larger than the laterals. Rhinophores smooth, having a brown ring close to the top.
Ecology
One specimen was found feeding on white calcareous sponges of the genus
Ascandra
Haeckel, 1872
and, thus, displaying the same white colouration as the sponge.
Distribution
Madeira
(
Malaquias et al. 2001
);
Azores
(
Calado 2002
;
Fahey and Gosliner 2004
); Atlantic Spanish coast:
Canary Islands
(
Odhner 1931
;
Altimira and Ros 1979
, as
Serigea sublaevis
;
Pérez Sánchez et al. 1990
;
Ortea et al. 1996
;
2001
, 2003;
Malaquias and Calado 1997
), Mediterranean Spanish coast: Levantine coast (
Templado et al. 1987
), and
Catalonia
(this study).
Remarks
According to
Ortea et al. (1996)
, the colouration of this species varies from yellow to beige or white depending on the diet. Slugs are generally found feeding on
Clathrina coriacea
(Montagu, 1814)
.
Family
CADLINIDAE Bergh, 1891
Genus
Aldisa
Bergh, 1878