Alderia modesta (Loven, 1844)

Description

A small sacoglossan reaching about 15 mm in body length. The body colour is pale yellow to pale green, with dark brown or green markings on the dorsum. The sole sometimes bears scattered white dots. The cerata are cylindrical and dotted with white. The rhinophores are short and auriculate (ear-shaped).

Distribution

The original description (Lovén, 1844) was based on Nordic (Swedish) coastal specimens published in the proceedings of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The species is distributed broadly in the Atlantic and Western Pacific, with observation records from the Netherlands, eastern Russia, and Japan. It inhabits estuaries and salt marshes, where it feeds on filamentous green algae such as Vaucheria.

Etymology

The specific epithet modesta is the Latin feminine of modestus, meaning "modest" or "unassuming".

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References

• Stiliger modestus n. sp., Lovén S. (1844). Om nordiska hafs-mollusker. Öfversigt af Kongliga Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar, Stockholm. 1(3): 48-53.
• オオマツモウミウシ（新称）, 中野理枝. (2018). 日本のウミウシ. 文一総合出版.