Roboastra europaea
García Gómez, 1985

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Family: Polyceridae
Subfamily: Nembrothinae

DISTRIBUTION

Spain.

PHOTO

La Cañonera reef. Bay of Algeciras (Strait of Gibraltar, southern Spain). March 2000.
UPPER: 26 m. depth. Size: 55mm., LOWER: 28 m. depth, Size: 50mm. PHOTOS: Alma Sánchez

The long, limaciform body is lightly corrugated. The rhinophores are perfoliate and retractile and have 35 tightly packed lamellae. There are 5 nonretractile bipinnate gills, the central 3 gills being larger than the other two.
This species is striped with greyish blue and bright yellow longitudinal bands. The entire foot is a pale grey. The oral tentacles are grey. The perfoliated part of the rhinophores are a grey or reddish-grey but the base and tips of the rhinophores are a light grey. The outer face of gills is orange-yellow or blue and the outer edge of the gill leaflets is dark grey or purple. The rhinophore club dark purplish colour. There are two colour forms [See Lucas Cervera's message.]

Compare with Tambja ceutae

Reference:
• Garcia-Gomez, J.C. (1985) A new species of Roboastra (Gastropoda, Nudibranchia) from the Gibraltar Strait (southern Spain). Journal of Molluscan Studies, 51: 169-176.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (February 11) Roboastra europaea García Gómez, 1985. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/roboeuro

Copyright © Australian Museum, 1998-2010