Bulbaeolidia japonica (Eliot, 1913)

Description

Ground colour translucent white with scattered white spots over the dorsum. Cerata short and inwardly curled, translucent white with white speckling and a brown digestive gland visible inside. Rhinophores carry two annular swellings - one near the mid-length and one near the apex - and are tipped white. Oral tentacles likewise carry two swellings. Reaches about 13 mm in length.

Distribution

Known chiefly from Japanese coastal waters. The type locality is Japan (Tokyo Imperial University and Misaki specimens). In regions where it overlaps with other Bulbaeolidia species, molecular identification is required (Furfaro et al., 2017).

Etymology

The specific epithet japonica is the Latin for "Japanese" and refers to the type locality.

Remarks

Originally described as Aeolidiella japonica Eliot, 1913 in "Japanese nudibranchs" (J. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. Tokyo, vol. 35). The Japanese vernacular name was proposed in Baba's "Studies on Japanese nudibranchs (3)". Transferred from Aeolidiella to Bulbaeolidia by Furfaro et al. 2017.

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References

• ヤマトミノウミウシ(新称), Baba, K. 1930c. Studies on Japanese nudibranchs (3). A. Phyllidiidae. B. Aeolididae. Venus 2(3): 117-122.
• ヤマトミノウミウシ, Baba K. (1949). Opisthobranchia of Sagami Bay collected by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan (相模湾産後鰓類図譜). Iwanami Shoten, Tokyo. 4+2+194+7 pp., pls. 1-50.
• 高岡生物研究会. (2002). 日本海のウミウシ. 第2版.