Marsenina stearnsii from Oregon

May 19, 2005
From: Jeff Goddard


Hi Bill,

To accompany my previous message [#13808] on the Marsenina in Douglas Hansen's message, here are two photographs of Marsenina stearnsii, one showing four individuals on a didemnid ascidian in the field. As you can see, these snails blend in pretty well on their prey and can also easily be mistaken for dorid nudibranchs. However, when relaxed and crawling, their head tentacles and lack of both rhinophores and branchial plumes become apparent. The upper photo shows the dorsal slit in the mantle, characteristic of this genus.

Locality:  Cape Arago, Oregon, USA. Pacific Ocean. Intertidal. Upper image: Length: 22 mm, June 1980. Lower image: May 1986. Intertidal, under a cobble. Photographer: Jeff Goddard

Best wishes,
Jeff

goddard@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Goddard, J.H.R., 2005 (May 19) Marsenina stearnsii from Oregon. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13810

Thanks Jeff,
No matter how hard I try to avoid these slug-like snails, I must admit that the velutinids show fascinating parallels to nudibranchs.  This photo clearly shows the dorsal slit in the mantle. I often need to check for the slender head tentacles to confirm they are not opisthobranchs.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (May 19). Comment on Marsenina stearnsii from Oregon by Jeff Goddard. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/13810

Factsheet

Velutinidae - are they sea slugs?

Related messages

  1. Colpodaspis sp ??
    From: Jean Michel Crouzet, April 19, 2010
  2. Lamellaria from Tunisia
    From: Jamila Ben Souissi, January 18, 2010
  3. Unknown seaslug from Whangaparaoa, New Zealand
    From: Graham Bould, August 20, 2009
  4. Shell-less gastropod from Gulf of St Lawrence, Canada
    From: Patrice Goudreau, July 21, 2007
  5. Re: Photo of a living 'Berthella' sideralis
    From: Jussi Evertsen, January 15, 2007
  6. Re: Photo of a living 'Berthella' sideralis
    From: Jussi Evertsen, January 8, 2007
  7. Re: Photo of a living 'Berthella' sideralis
    From: Jeff Goddard, January 5, 2007
  8. Photo of a living 'Berthella' sideralis
    From: Erling Svensen, January 5, 2007
  9. Re: Lamellaria from Turkey
    From: Mehmet Baki Yokes, December 15, 2006
  10. Lamellaria from Turkey
    From: Haluk Akbatur, December 13, 2006
  11. Unknown dorid? from the Red Sea
    From: Neil Horlock, June 16, 2006
  12. Velutinid snail from Japan
    From: Yasuhiro Shamoto, April 6, 2006
  13. Berthella? from Croatia
    From: Mat Vestjens, February 28, 2006
  14. Re: Nudibranch ? from Spain
    From: Juan Lucas Cervera, January 20, 2006
  15. Nudibranch ? from Spain
    From: Marga Iglesias, January 19, 2006
  16. Re: Mysterious sea slug? from Cornwall
    From: Bernard Picton, November 15, 2005
  17. Mysterious sea slug? from Cornwall
    From: Judith Oakley, November 1, 2005
  18. Re: Unidentified Arctic 'Nudibranch'
    From: Philip Sargent, September 15, 2005
  19. Re: Velutinidae in the Arctic
    From: Constantine Mifsud, July 5, 2005
  20. Unidentified Arctic 'Nudibranch'
    From: Tim Siferd, July 1, 2005
  21. Re: Corambe? or velutinid from California
    From: Jeff Goddard, May 19, 2005
  22. Lamellaria diegoensis from Oregon, USA
    From: Jeff Goddard, May 19, 2005
  23. Corambe? or velutinid from California
    From: Douglas Hansen, May 16, 2005
  24. Velutinid from Lord Howe Island
    From: Ian Hutton, February 26, 2004
  25. Berthella? fromNew South Wales
    From: Rachel Przeslawski, September 18, 2003
  26. Sea slug mystery
    From: Steve Zanieri, March 18, 2003
  27. Velutinid from Lord Howe Island
    From: Ian Hutton, December 11, 2002
  28. Is this a velutinid ?
    From: Marina Poddubetskaia, October 28, 2002
  29. Unidentified velutinids from Turkey
    From: Baki Yokes, October 8, 2002
  30. Chelynotus semperi from Solomon Ids
    From: Bruce Potter, September 19, 2002
  31. Velutina? from Alaska
    From: James H. McLean , September 7, 2002
  32. Snail? Slug? from Alaska
    From: Clinton Bauder, August 7, 2002
  33. Re: Opisthobranch? from Mediterranean
    From: Juan Lucas Cervera, July 23, 2002
  34. Opisthobranch? from Mediterranean
    From: Jean-Pierre Bielecki, July 22, 2002
  35. Opisthobranch with a shell
    From: Elianny Dominguez , September 19, 2001
  36. Coriocella spp from the Maldives.
    From: Jim Anderson, May 8, 2001
  37. Mystery from the Maldives
    From: Nishina Masayoshi, January 16, 2001
  38. Velutinid from Port Stephens
    From: Ron Greer, May 28, 2000
  39. Velutinid from southern New South Wales
    From: Akos Lumnitzer, January 27, 2000
  40. Re: Coriocella nigra from Japan
    From: H.Ono, October 6, 1999
  41. Coriocella nigra from Japan
    From: H. Ono, October 5, 1999
  42. Coriocella nigra
    From: Jacquie Sheils , May 5, 1999
  43. A nudibranch-like Coriocella from Okinawa
    From: Bob Bolland, March 23, 1999
  44. Your response to my Coriocella query
    From: Yves Muller, November 2, 1998
  45. Information on Coriocella spp
    From: Yves Muller, October 28, 1998

Show factsheet and all related messages