Re: Elysia cf. tomentosa. from Okinawa

December 1, 2001
From: Kathe R. Jensen

Dear Bill and Bob,
Concerning Bob's message. Some time before I collected Elysia tomentosa in the Abrolhos Islands, Dr. K. Baba had sent me some photos and a manuscript of 2 Elysia species, one of which looks almost identical to Bob's animal, except that the colour was yellowish - indicating starvation. His specimens had been collected in Okinawa, so I guess they are the same species. He also mentions the white pericardium, which I did not see in E. tomentosa. Baba had identified this species as E. subornata ( =E. cauze) based on Kay's description of a specimen from Hawaii. However, this species is not E. subornata / cauze. When I was describing E. tomentosa I contacted Dr. Baba, because I thought my species was probably identical to his, and I thought we could do a description together. However, when he saw my figures of the pharynx and the SEMs of radular teeth, he didn't think the species were identical. His animals had a short ("small") radula with smooth teeth, whereas the radula in E. tomentosa looked about the same length as in other Elysia spp. and the teeth were finely denticulate. I don't think his manuscript was ever published.

As I mentioned when answering the question about E. grandifolia, I received specimens from India of 2 Elysia spp. from Caulerpa. One of them is also a highly papillose species, very similar to E. tomentosa. So my inclination would be to say that there is one widespread species - but then I remember in Florida where E. subornata / cauze with different development patterns (poecilogony) turned out to be a species complex of at least 3 species - which unfortunately remain undescribed due to Kerry Clark's untimely death.

We need to study population dynamics of opisthobranchs much more closely to find out how far larvae can be transported, how often egg masses (or adults) get transported floating on pieces of algae (or hydroids). Fortunately there are still a lot of questions to be answered.

Cheers,
Kathe

jensen@ait.ac.th

Jensen, K.R., 2001 (Dec 1) Re: Elysia cf. tomentosa. from Okinawa. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/5761

Thanks Kathe,
Bill Rudman

Factsheet

Elysia cf. tomentosa

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