Polybranchia from the Canary Ids

March 20, 2001
From: Erwin Koehler

Dear Bill
Here is one from the Canary Islands, depth 3m, size 15 mm, Gran Canaria Is., divesite "Sardina del Norte", Jan. 18, 2001.

It was taken by Arthur J. Telle: [mercedes@idecnet.com
www.spain-service.com/arturo]

Erwin

Medslugs.Koehler@t-online.de

Koehler, E., 2001 (Mar 20) Polybranchia from the Canary Ids. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3976

Dear Erwin,
It looks like the animal Ortea & Templado (1990) describe as Cyerce verdensis but most probably is Polybranchia viridis (Deshayes, 1857) which has been reported from the Canary Ids (Ortea 1981). Ortea's photo looks much like Arthur Telle's. [Until Ortea's record, P. viridis was only known from the Caribbean and the Pacific coast of Mexico]

One big problem is I that I can't see the foot. In Cyerce there is a transverse groove across the sole of the foot behind the head, while in Polybranchia there is not, so it is not possible for me, solely from the photo, to place the species in a genus.

References:
• Ortea, J.A. (1981) Moluscos Opistobranquios de las Islas Canarias. Primera parte: Ascoglosos. Bol. Inst. Espa. Oceano, 6: 179-199
• Ortea, J.A. & Templado, J. (1990) A new species of the genus Cyerce Bergh, 1871, from the Cape Verde Islands (Opisthobranchia: Ascoglossa). The Veliger, 33(2): 202-205.

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Mar 20). Comment on Polybranchia from the Canary Ids by Erwin Koehler. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/3976

Factsheet

Polybranchia viridis

Related messages

  1. Re: Polybranchia from the Canary Ids
    From: Erwin Koehler, March 29, 2001
  2. Re: Polybranchia from the Canary Ids
    From: Kathe R. Jensen, March 23, 2001

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