Chelidonura berolina = C. africana

January 5, 2004
From: Bill Rudman

Anne Dupont's accompanying messages, message 1, message 2, with photos showing the colour range in Chelidonura berolina, made me relook at illustrations of Chelidonura africana, a small species described from the west coast of Africa and known also from the Mediterranean where it was named C. italica. Comparing Gantes' colour painting in Pruvot-Fol's original description, it would seem that the Caribbean species, Chelidonura berolina, is almost certainly the same as C. africana showing the same range of colour variation. In an earlier message from Anne Dupont, specimens from the Caribbean, with little blue but considerable white speckling were illustrated.

It is also probable that Chelidonura leopoldoi Ortea, Moro & Espinosa, 1996, from the Canary Ids, and C. cubana Ortea & Martinez, 1997, from Cuba, are also colour forms of this species.

• Ortea, J., Moro, L. & Espinosa, J. (1996) Descripcion de dos nuevas especies del genero Chelidonura A.Adams, 1850 (Opisthobranchia, Cephalaspidea, Aglajidae) colectadas en la Isla del Hierro. Estudio comparado con C. africana Prubot-Fol, 1953. Rev. Acad. Cabar. Cienc., 8: 215-229.
• Ortea, J. & Martinez, E. (1997) A new species of Chelidonura A.Adams, 1850 (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia: Cephalaspidea) from Cuba shores (in Spanish). Avicennia, 6/7: 137-140.

Bill Rudman

PHOTOS: Upper Right: 3 specimens from Morocco. Plate 3, figs 37-39 - from Pruvot-Fol 1953. Lower: Colour variation from Bahamas [see Anne Dupont's messages].

Rudman, W.B., 2004 (Jan 5) Chelidonura berolina = C. africana. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/11810

Factsheet

Chelidonura africana

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