Anteaeolidiella cacaotica (W. Stimpson, 1855)

Description

A medium-sized aeolid reaching about 35 mm in body length. Ground colour is translucent orange. A line of regularly-spaced white spots, each surrounded by a dull orange-red halo, runs along the dorsal midline. The cerata are translucent orange, each crossed by a thin yellowish-white band. The rhinophores and oral tentacles are smooth and rod-like, the same orange as the body.

Distribution

Western and central Pacific. Records come from Australia, Palmyra Atoll and southern Japan. The species occurs on shallow to moderately deep coral and rocky reefs.

Etymology

The specific epithet cacaotica is based on a latinised form of "cacao", meaning "cocoa-coloured", in reference to the species' orange-brown ground colour.

Remarks

The genus Anteaeolidiella was erected by Miller 2001 during his revision of the New Zealand Aeolidiidae. Material formerly placed in Aeolidiella indica Bergh, 1888 has been split into multiple Indo-Pacific lineages, including this species. The species feeds on sea anemones.

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References

• Anteaeolidiella cacaotica (Stimpson, 1855), Miller M.C. (2001). Aeolid nudibranchs (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia) of the family Aeolidiidae from New Zealand waters. Journal of Natural History. 35(5): 629-662.
• Anteaeolidiella cacaotica (Stimpson, 1855), resurrected, Carmona L., Bhave V., Salunkhe R., Pola M., Gosliner T.M. & Cervera J.L. (2014). Systematic review of Anteaeolidiella (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Aeolidiidae) based on morphological and molecular data, with a description of three new species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 171(1): 108-132. https://doi.org/10.1111/zoj.12129