Plocamopherus imperialis Angas, 1864
- Location
- Arai Benten Beach, Hamanako, Shizuoka, Japan
- Date
- 2021/12/24
- Length
- 35mm
- Depth
- 7.0m
- Water temperature
- 14.0℃
Description
A medium-sized plocamopherid reaching up to 13 mm in preserved length. The body has a yellowish background color, heavily speckled with brown dots over the entire body, more intense on the dorsum than on the sides. There are larger blotches of brown coloration surrounding the lateral appendage bases. The rhinophoral peduncles are pink with a brownish clavus. The rhinophoral sheaths are short with the margins minutely papillated.There are three pairs of short lateral appendages, the first two being conical in shape and having small-branched papillae on the tip. Both tips are pink as is the globular structure on the third pair. The same structure and coloration is presented by the velar appendages. There are five tripinnate branchial leaves, which are very elongate and elevated. The posterior portion of the foot is elongated and thin and has a small keel that is slightly fringed on its upper margin. The posterior end of the foot is flattened laterally.
Distribution
Originally described from Port Jackson (Sydney), Australia. The species has been recorded from temperate southeastern Australia, northern New Zealand and Japan (Okinawa).Etymology
The specific epithet imperialis is Latin for "imperial."Remarks
Japanese specimens differ slightly from the Australian topotypes in colour pattern (brown blotches at the apex of the lateral appendages), and have been treated as P. cf. imperialis pending further analysis. The species is bioluminescent, with globular structures at the apex of the lateral appendages capable of emitting light when disturbed.References
- Plocamopherus imperialis, Rüppell E. & Leuckart F.S. (1828-1830). Atlas zu der Reise im nördlichen Afrika von Eduard Rüppell. Erste Abtheilung. Zoologie, Neue wirbellose Thiere des Rothen Meers. Frankfurt am Main: H.L. Brönner. iv + 47 pp., 12 pls.
- あかおにうみうし（新稱）, 内田清之助ほか. (1927). 日本動物圖鑑. 北隆館.
- ベッコウヒカリウミウシ（新稱）, 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.
- ベッコウヒカリウミウシ Plocamopherus imperialis, 益田一. (1999). 海洋生物ガイドブック. 第2刷. 東海大学出版会.
- ベッコウヒカリウミウシ Plocamopherus imperialis, 鈴木敬宇. (2000). ウミウシガイドブック〈2〉. TBSブリタニカ.
- 高岡生物研究会. (2002). 日本海のウミウシ. 第2版.
- ベッコウヒカリウミウシ, 中野理枝. (2004). 本州のウミウシ. ラトルズ.
- Plocamopherus cf. imperialis Angas, 1864, Vallès Y. & Gosliner T.M. 2006. Shedding light onto the genera (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) Kaloplocamus and Plocamopherus with description of new species belonging to these unique bioluminescent dorids . The Veliger 48(3): 178-205
- ニンジンヒカウミリウン, ベッコウヒカリウミウシ, 中野理枝. (2018). 日本のウミウシ. 文一総合出版.
- ベッコウヒカリウミウシ Plocamopherus imperialis, 小野篤司 & 加藤昌一. (2020). 新版 ウミウシ. 誠文堂新光社.
- ベッコウヒカリウミウシ Plocamopherus cf. imperialis, 柏尾翔, 川瀬基弘, 鵜飼普, 大矢美紀, 西浩孝 & 浅田要. (2021). 愛知県南知多町の潮間帯に生息するウミウシ類 I(裸鰓目). なごやの生物多様性. 8: 1-22.
Featured in this book
小野篤司 & 加藤昌一. (2020). 新版 ウミウシ. 誠文堂新光社.
誠文堂新光社
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Tag:
Same Genus Nudibranchs
Similar Colors Nudibranchs
Academic Database
Sea slug observation data is available in international marine biodiversity databases.