Re: Aplysiopsis minor from Sagami Bay

May 11, 2001
From: Kathe R. Jensen

Dear Bill, Cynthia & Yoshi,

Having a few holidays before the new term starts, I was searching through some old messages, and found this one of "Aplysiopsis minor". However, this animal seems to have a thin, curved penial stylet, which does not occur in the genus Aplysiopsis. Also, it seems to me that there is a white branching tubule in the cerata in addition to the digestive gland tubules. My guess is that this is the albumen gland, which also does not enter the cerata in Aplysiopsis. In the original description Baba distinctly figures the typical denticulate, sabot-shaped radular teeth of Aplysiopsis, so I think that this specimen was simply misidentified, and that it is more likely a species of Placida (because of the auriculate rhinophores) or Ercolania (in which case the rhinophores should be ventrally grooved, but not auriculate). To get a definite ID we need to look at the radular teeth - blade-shaped in Placida and sabot-shaped in Ercolania.

Greetings,
Kathe

jensen@ait.ac.th

Jensen, K.R., 2001 (May 11) Re: Aplysiopsis minor from Sagami Bay. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4304

Thanks Kathe,
I guess I will leave it as Aplysiopsis minor until we get some information on its radula. It seems nothing is simple....
Bill Rudman

Factsheet

Aplysiopsis minor

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