Pleurobranchus? from St. John, US Virgin Islands

July 24, 2007
From: Caroline S. Rogers

I photographed this sea slug yesterday. I am a coral reef ecologist and spend lots of time snorkeling, but I have never seen one of these before. Is it possibly Pleurobranchus atlanticus?

Locality: Francis Bay, St. John, 1 meter, United States Virgin Islands, United States of America, Caribbean, 21 July 2007, shallow boulders. Length: 4.4 cm. Photographer: Caroline S Rogers.

Thank you.
Caroline Rogers

csrstjohn@yahoo.com

Rogers, C.S., 2007 (Jul 24) Pleurobranchus? from St. John, US Virgin Islands. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20285

Dear Caroline,

This is a  sea hare rather than a species of Pleurobranchus. In pleurobranchs [side-gilled slugs] the gill is on the right side of the body below the mantle flap. In this animal, which is much 'flatter' than most sea hares, the gill is hidden in the reduced mantle cavity beneath the small parapodial flap on the middle of the back [see upper ring]. It is Dolabrifera dolabrifera, a very well camouflaged species, with a flattened muscular body. This species is often found in shallow water, often in areas exposed to a lot of water movement - they can be thought of as the 'limpets' of the sea hare family. The shape of the head, rhinophores and oral tentacles [see lower ring] is typical of sea hares [see Sea Hare head Fact Sheet ].

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Jul 24). Comment on Pleurobranchus? from St. John, US Virgin Islands by Caroline S. Rogers. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20285

Factsheet

Dolabrifera dolabrifera

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