Petalifera punctulata (Tapparone Canefri, 1874)

Description

A small aplysiid reaching about 40 mm in body length (field records up to 60 mm). The body is elongate and limaciform (slug-shaped), low in profile, and bears small conical papillae scattered over the surface; some individuals carry white markings on the dorsum. The body colour varies from grass green to dark brown. The rhinophores and oral tentacles match the body colour.

Distribution

The original description (Tapparone Canefri, 1874) was based on specimens collected during the world voyage of the Italian Royal Navy frigate Magenta (1865–1868). According to Okutani (ed.) 2000 (Marine Mollusks in Japan), recorded from the Pacific coast of Honshu to China, living on the leaves of eelgrass (Zostera marina).

Etymology

The specific epithet punctulata is a Latin feminine adjective meaning "spotted with small dots" (from punctulum, "tiny dot"), referring to the small papillae and markings on the body surface.

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References

• Phyllaplysia punctulata n. sp., Tapparone Canefri C. (1874). Zoologia del viaggio intorno al globo della regia fregata Magenta durante gli anni 1865-68. Malacologia (Gasteropodi, Acefali e Brachiopodi). Torino, 161 pp., 4 pls.
• ウミナメクジ, 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.
• ウミナメクジ, 高岡高等学校生物研究会(編). (1964). 富山湾産後鰓類図譜.
• ウミナメクジ Petalifera punctulata (Tapparone-Canefri, 1874), 奥谷喬司. (2000). 日本近海産貝類図鑑. 東海大学出版会.
• 高岡生物研究会. (2002). 日本海のウミウシ. 第2版.