Lophodoris sp. ? from Yellow Sea

July 21, 2007
From: Dong Bum Koh


Dear Bill,

Long time no see!
I would like to introduce one seaslug from the Korean coast of the Yellow Sea. It looks the same as the animal in my my previous message #16960 which you thought might be a species of Lophodoris sp?

Locality: Near Tae An city, -10m, South Korea, Yellow Sea, 23 June 2007. Length: Approx. 10mm. Photographer: Heung Gi Moon.

I have no idea about it.
Could you give an ID for me?

Best regards,
Dong Bum Koh

drkoh@seasee.co.kr

Koh, D. B., 2007 (Jul 21) Lophodoris sp. ? from Yellow Sea. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20203

Dear Koh,
Thanks for some more interesting photos. This certainly looks the same as your earlier animal. I had hoped after your last message that we might have got some comments from researchers working on the northern Atlantic fauna which is the home of Lophodoris danielsseni. Your animal is similar in having the radiating bundles of mantle spicules around the edge and in having the gap in the mantle in the posterior midline behind the gills and anus. It differs in having more usual gills, rather than the gills of L. danielsseni which are much reduced and each tipped with a swollen sac of unknown function.

The anterior end also differs in your species. It seems the anterior end of the mantle finishes alongside the rhinophores and the head has a wide oral veil which extends on each side into a tentacle (lined with white), more like in Lophodoris scala. However I would need a look at the underside of the animal to be sure.

Whatever this turns out to be, it is quite unusual.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2007 (Jul 21). Comment on Lophodoris sp. ? from Yellow Sea by Dong Bum Koh. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/20203

Factsheet

Lophodoris? sp. 1