Aegires hapsis
Fahey and Gosliner, 2004
Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: DORIDINA
Superfamily: ANADORIDOIDEA
Family: Aegiretidae
DISTRIBUTION
Only reported from Okinawa.
PHOTO
Upper right: Aegires hapsis - HOLOTYPE: CASIZ 115721, 6 mm, Horseshoe Cliffs, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, 3 m, collected March 1998, Photo: R. Bolland. Lower photos: SEM of radula. Scale bar = 20µm. Photos from Fahey & Gosliner (2004).
The dorsum is completely covered with small raised tubercles, arranged in somewhat regular fashion on the sides of the dorsum and along the midline behind the gill. The rhinophore pocket is raised and the outer edge is formed by three large tubercles. The gill is protected by a tri-lobed appendage, each of which is further divided into 4–5 smaller lobes. The gill leaves are small and tripinnate. The background color is pale tan and white. There is a fine network of white webbing covering the dorsum. This webbing is especially noticeable on the posterior third behind the gill pocket. There are small brown dots on either died of the dorsum midline. The tubercles protecting the rhinophore pocket have a dark brown top. The rhinophores are dark brown and the gill branches are white. The specimen dissected measured 6 mm in length.
Externally, this species does not closely resemble any other Aegires species. Only A. malinus Fahey and Gosliner, 2004 has a smooth dorsum like A. hapsis with a fine network pattern overall and tiny dorsal tubercles. But the color of these two species is not similar. Internally, A. hapsis has very different radular morphology than other Aegires species.
- Fahey, S. J. & Gosliner, T. M. (2004) A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Aegiridae Fischer, 1883 (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Phanerobranchia) with Descriptions of Eight New Species and a Reassessment of Phanerobranch Relationships. Proceedings of the CaliforniaAcademy of Sciences, 55, (34): 613–689, 82 figs., 4 tables (Appendix).
Fahey, S. J. & Gosliner, T. M. , 2005 (July 8) Aegires hapsis Fahey and Gosliner, 2004. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/aegihaps
Related messages
Aegires hapsis found sthrn Queensland
August 6, 2008
From: Gary Cobb
Hi Bill and everyone!
Here are some photos of Aegires hapsis we found here on the Sunshine Coast. Though quite small this was an interesting find. I also believe it could be a new record for Australia.
Locality: Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, 18 m, Queensland, Australia, Pacific Ocean, 19 March 2005, Subtidal. Length: 8 mm. Photographer: Gary Cobb.
Cheers
Gary Cobb
gary@nudibranch.com.au
Cobb, G.C., 2008 (Aug 6) Aegires hapsis found sthrn Queensland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21757
Dear Gary,
This is a nice find. It certainly looks like the photos I have seen of A. hapsis, which until now has only been recorded from Okinawa. This certainly gives it a much wider distribution.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman
