Cuthona fulgens
(MacFarland, 1966)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Tergipedidae

DISTRIBUTION

Cape Arago, Oregon to Shell Bch, California (Behrens, 1991)

PHOTO

Locality: Cape Arago, Oregon, USA. Pacific Ocean: Intertidal, Length: 9 mm. August 1983. Rocky shore, low intertidal pool. Photographer: Jeff Goddard

 

Body, including rhinophores and oral tentacles, are translucent white with some opaque white speckling. The cerata have opaque white spots on the skin and the digestive gland duct ranges from yellow-brown to dark-brown. There is a light yellow brown band at the base of each ceras and another subterminally. Behrens (1991) describes these as bands on the ceras, but from the attached photo, the bands appear to be part of the digestive gland duct or contents. MacFarland's published description is not entirely clear on this point but his painting also looks as though the yellow brown is from the upper and basal regions of the digestive gland duct. Grows to about 8 mm.
  • Goddard, J.H.R., Wayne, T.A. & Wayne, K.R. (1997) Opisthobranch mollusks and the pulmonate limpet Trimusculus reticulatus (Sowerby, 1835) from the outer Washington coast. The Veliger, 40(4): 292-297.
  • MacFarland, F. M. (1966) Studies of Opisthobranchiate Mollusks of the Pacific coast of North America. Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences, 6: 1-546.
Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2005 (October 3) Cuthona fulgens (MacFarland, 1966). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/cuthfulg

Related messages


Cuthona fulgens from Carmel, CA

June 12, 2007
From: Clinton Bauder

Concerning message #14916:

Hi Bill and Dave,

Evidence suggests I learned a few new tricks while Alicia was in town two weeks ago as I had a pretty good day looking for small aeolids today. I'm pretty sure this one is Cuthona fulgens.

Locality: Carmel, 18 meters, CA, USA, Pacific, 03 June 2007, Rocky Reef (East Pinnacles in Carmel). Length: 2-3mm. Photographer: Clinton Bauder.

Clinton

gecko1@apple.com

Bauder, C., 2007 (Jun 12) Cuthona fulgens from Carmel, CA. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19980

Hi Clinton,

Great find. Ali really knows how to tease out these little guys. Yes, this is Cuthona fulgens. The head is clear, rhinophores and head tentacles have a opaque white covering, ceratal cores brown, white specks on the cerata and a yellow band near the tip of each.

Can't tell if that is a hydroid or a bryozoan in the lower right photo, but this species feeds on the hydroid, Sarsia

Thanks for sharing this one, and keep up the good work,
Dave Behrens

Behrens, D.W., 2007 (Jun 12). Comment on Cuthona fulgens from Carmel, CA by Clinton Bauder. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/19980

Cuthona fulgens from Oregon

October 4, 2005
From: Jeff Goddard

Hi Bill,

To round out the recent comparison of species of Cuthona from the northeast Pacific Ocean, here is an image of a Cuthona fulgens from Cape Arago, Oregon. Although it's an old image taken in a finger bowl, it should at least fill the gap until someone submits a better, in situ image. I have found this species as far north as the Olympic Peninsula, Washington.

Locality: Cape Arago, Oregon, USA. Pacific Ocean: Intertidal, Length: 9 mm. August 1983. Rocky shore, low intertidal pool. Photographer: Jeff Goddard

  • Goddard, J.H.R., Wayne, T.A. & Wayne, K.R. (1997) Opisthobranch mollusks and the pulmonate limpet Trimusculus reticulatus (Sowerby, 1835) from the outer Washington coast. The Veliger, 40(4): 292-297.

Best wishes,
Jeff

goddard@lifesci.ucsb.edu

Goddard, J.H.R., 2005 (Oct 4) Cuthona fulgens from Oregon. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14916

Thanks Jeff,
That definitely fills a gap
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2005 (Oct 4). Comment on Cuthona fulgens from Oregon by Jeff Goddard. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/14916