Thuridilla hoffae Gosliner, 1995

Description

Background colour black. The parapodial margin bears a vivid orange line of reflective granules. Below the margin, bright reflective blue-green blotches cover most of the parapodia. The head is black, with blue-green pigment covering most of the rhinophores. The anterior margin of the foot has an orange line.

Distribution

Marshall Islands (Enewetak; reported as Elysia livida by Johnson and Boucher 1983), Guam (reported in part as Elysia livida by Carlson and Hoff 1978), Okinawa (Japan), and Papua New Guinea.

Etymology

The specific epithet hoffae honours Patty Jo Hoff who, together with Clay Carlson, first discovered this species.

Remarks

Closely resembles Thuridilla livida (Baba, 1955) in colour and is most closely related to that species. Anatomical distinctions are detailed under Thuridilla livida: in Thuridilla hoffae the two posterior vessels have a common junction with the pericardium, the pharyngeal pouch is proportionately larger, and the penial papilla is narrower and more acute.

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References

• Thuridilla hoffae sp. nov., Gosliner T.M. (1995). The genus Thuridilla (Opisthobranchia: Elysiidae) from the tropical Indo-Pacific, with a revision of the phylogeny and systematics of the Elysiidae. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 49(1): 1-54.