Chelidonura cubana
Ortea & Martinez, 1997

Order: CEPHALASPIDEA
Superfamily: PHILINOIDEA
Family: Aglajidae

DISTRIBUTION

Caribbean

PHOTO

Lake Worth Lagoon, 20 feet, Florida, USA, Atlantic Ocean, August 20, 2007, Tidal lagoon with strong currents. Length: approx. 1 inch. Photographer: Linda Ianniello.

This is another name introduced into the confusion surrounding the Caribbean aglajids [see message #12457]. This species was based on three tiny animals about 3 mm long. Not that small size is a barrier to being named, but it means that if the animals are juvenile then the colour pattern may be lacking elements found in fully grown individuals. This species may be C. africana from the eastern Atlantic [see#17561]. The white patch on the front of the head and on the posterior tip of the head shield seem quite characteristic. It also has close similarities to C. hirundinina [#17561 from Nthn Marianas; #8777 from Lord Howe Is] but seems to differ in the white marks I mention above. In C. hirundinina the only white mark is usually a white crescent on the posterior shield.

In Caribbean Sea Slugs, one Caribbean species, C. berolina, is tentatively considered distinct from C. africana, which could be so. On the Forum I have leaned towards synonymising that species as well. But I would think that C. cubana, with the same colour elements as C. africana, is a synonym of that species.

• 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.
  

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