Flabellina pellucida
(Alder & Hancock, 1843)

Order: NUDIBRANCHIA
Suborder: AEOLIDINA
Family: Flabellinidae

DISTRIBUTION

North Atlantic - northern British Isles, Norway, Nth American coast from Canada to Massachusetts, USA.

PHOTO

UPPER: April 1988 - Stromemore, Loch Carron, W. Scotland. Photo: Bernard Picton.
LOWER: at Sea Point, Maine, USA, April 1976, Photo: Alan Kuzirian.

Grows to about 40mm long. The body is translucent white and the tips of the oral tentacles, rhinophores and tail are opaque white. The ceratal digestive gland is bright red and the tips of the cerata are capped with opaque white, instead of the subapical rings found in other northern Atlantic species.

Normally feeds on the hydroid Eudendrium arbuscula in the British Isles but other Eudendrium species, and sometimes Tubularia may be eaten. Thompson & Brown's report (1984) that it prefers Tubularia in European populations is apparently an error. Their statement that Kuzirian confirmed this dietary choice in North American populations is also incorrect, Kuzirian (1979) specifically stating that in prey choice experiments F. pellucida "chose Eudendrium dispar over Tubularia sp". The spawn consists of a thread which is laid in a wavy spiral coiled amongst the food and on nearby rocks.

The long cerata, of fairly even size, the red ceratal digestive gland and the white-capped cerata would appear to be good characters for this species.

Reference:
• Kuzirian, A.M. (1979) Taxonomy and biology of four New England coryphellid nudibranchs. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 45: 239-261.
• Thompson, T.E. & Brown, G.H. (1984) Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs, Vol 2. Ray Society: London.

Authorship details
Rudman, W.B., 2001 (July 16) Flabellina pellucida (Alder & Hancock, 1843). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/flabpell

Related messages


Flabellina pellucida - Mating? - Maine, USA

August 29, 2003
From: Alan Shepard


Bill -

Here are two shots of Flabellina pellucida taken in Eastport, Maine, USA. One shot shows detail of the head while the other I believe shows a mating pair.

F. pellucida along with F. verrucosa are the most commonly observed nudibranchs in Eastport. The ones pictured were found in approximately 10m of water and were approximately 25mm long.

Best wishes,
Alan Shepard
Tolland, CT, USA

alan.chepard@snet.net

Shepard, A., 2003 (Aug 29) Flabellina pellucida - Mating? - Maine, USA. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/10859

Thanks Alan,
It certainly looks like mating is in action
Cheers,
Bill Rudman

Flabellina pellucida from Scotland

July 20, 2001
From: Bernard Picton


Hi Bill,
Here are some pictures of Flabellina pellucida if you want to make a page for it to complete the species list for North Atlantic Flabellina. It is a Eudendrium feeder and has a much narrower radula with a depressed central cusp compared with our Tubularia feeders which have to handle much larger hydroid polyps.

UPPER: April 1988 - Stromemore, Loch Carron, W. Scotland.
LOWER: Jul 1989 - Caolas Cregan, Loch Creran, W. Scotland.

The southern limit for Flabellina pellucida is West Scotland, but I've also found one specimen in Ireland (in Lough Hyne, almost the warmest place here - I wouldn't believe it until I checked the radula!).
Bernard

bernard.picton.um@nics.gov.uk

Picton, B.E., 2001 (Jul 20) Flabellina pellucida from Scotland. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4840

Thanks Bernard,
The photos are a welcome addition. I have indeed made a page in preparation for posting the synopses you and Jussi Evertsen have kindly prepared on the Nth Atlantic species of Fabellina, which I will post in the next few days.
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2001 (Jul 20). Comment on Flabellina pellucida from Scotland by Bernard Picton . [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4840

Flabellina pellucida from Maine, USA

July 20, 2001
From: Bernard Picton

Hi Bill,
Here is a copy of one of Alan Kuzirian's pictures so I've included that to give an American specimen of Flabellina pellucida as well.

It was photographed at Sea Point, Maine, USA, April 1976, by Alan Kuzirian.
Bernard

bernard.picton.um@nics.gov.uk

Picton, B., 2001 (Jul 20) Flabellina pellucida from Maine, USA. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/4841

Thanks Bernard,
Bill Rudman