Herviella affinis Baba, 1960

Description

A medium-small aeolid, body length 6-15 mm. The general body form resembles Herviella yatsui. Cephalic tentacles long; rhinophores also long and simple; foot corners rounded. The cerata are slender and fusiform, arranged in 5-6 simple oblique rows on each side (about 4 in the 1st, 5 in the 2nd, 4 in the 3rd, 3-1 in subsequent rows), each with an apical cnidosac. The anus is cleioproctic, closely behind the first right row of the posterior liver; the genital orifice opens below the first row on the right side. Ground colour yellowish white, the dorsum densely speckled with black dots — but in this species the upper half of the rhinophores is chrome-yellow (opaque white in yatsui) and each ceras has a marked orange subapical ring (black in yatsui). The liver veins of the cerata are faintly yellowish.

Distribution

Type locality: Kada, Osaka Bay, Japan. Additional records from Abugashima and Ogi (Toyama Bay).

Etymology

The specific epithet affinis (Latin "allied, related, neighbouring") refers to the close relationship to Herviella yatsui.

Remarks

The second species of Herviella after the type species Cratena yatsui; the two species are distinguished by the colour of the cephalic tentacles, rhinophores and subapical ceratal bands.

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References

• Gomahu-minoumiushi (n. n.), Baba K. (1960). THE GENUS HERVIELLA AND A NEW SPECIES, H. AFFINIS, FROM JAPAN (NUDIBRANCHIA-EOLIDACEA). Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory. 8(2): 303-305. https://doi.org/10.5134/174649
• 高岡生物研究会. (2002). 日本海のウミウシ. 第2版.