Aplysia nigra
| Aplysia nigra | |
|---|---|
| Aplysia nigra (holotype) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Aplysiida |
| Family: | Aplysiidae |
| Genus: | Aplysia |
| Species: | A. nigra
|
| Binomial name | |
| Aplysia nigra A. d'Orbigny, 1836
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Aplysia nigra is a species of sea hare or sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae.[1]
Description
The length of the species attains 25 cm.
(Original description in French) The animal is shortened, very elevated, coriaceous (leathery), strongly rugose (wrinkled), and notably ventricose (swollen). Its cephalic (head) region is short, broad, and supported by a very short neck. The buccal appendages are broad, rather short, slightly flattened, and rolled upon themselves at their extremities. The tentacles are thick, somewhat short, very obtuse, and cleft at their tips. The mouth lacks prominent lips (bourrelets) and is situated in the furrow separating the two buccal appendages.
The foot is very broad, strongly rugose, thick, truncated anteriorly, widened in its middle section, and short and subacuminate posteriorly. The foot lobes are not very broad, united posteriorly for half their length, forming a wide cavity where the gills are located. Only a very short anterior portion of these lobes is free, and they are so short that they can scarcely aid in crawling (reptation).
The mantle is very large, partly concealed by the bridle (bride) of the foot lobes. It is rounded in form and marked by a very small, round, superior, and median opening. Its morphology diverges from all previously described Aplysia species: specifically, the posterior part, instead of possessing a tongue-like extension of the shell's protective membrane, is excavated and equipped with a semicircular, perpendicularly elevated, membranous furrow that corresponds to the shell's indentation. The gills are entirely hidden by the mantle and the posterior bridle of the foot lobes.
The shell is oval, very open, and depressed, marked by growth lines and divergent striae extending from the apex to the margins. Its indentation is broad and shallow. The apex is slightly oblique and very lightly encrusted.
The animal is a deep black, particularly on the underside of the foot and its lobes. The inner surfaces of the lobes are slightly rosy. The shell is amber-colored. [2]
Distribution
This species occurs in the Pacific Ocean off Peru and Ecuador.
References
- ^ a b Aplysia nigra A. d'Orbigny, 1836. 5 October 2025. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species.
- ^ A. d'Orbigny (1844-1847) Voyage dans l'Amérique méridionale (le Brésil, la république orientale de l'Uruguay, la République argentine, la Patagonie, la république du Chili, la république de Bolivia, la république du Pérou), exécuté pendant les années 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832 et 1833 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Ramírez, R.; Paredes, C.; Arenas, J. (2003). Moluscos del Perú. Revista de Biologia Tropical. 51(supplement 3): 225-284
External links
- Guppy, R.J.L. (1879). "First sketch of a marine invertebrate fauna of the Gulf of Paria and its neighbourhood". Journal of Conchology. 2: 153. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- Guppy, R.J.L. (1877). "First sketch of a marine invertebrate fauna of the Gulf of Paria and its neighbourhood". Proceedings of the Scientific Association of Trinidad. 2 (3): 137.
- Guppy, R.J.L. (1895). "The Molluska of the Gulf of Paria". Proceedings of the Victoria Institute of Trinidad.: 123.
- Mendivil, A. & Cardoso, F. (2022). "Anatomical redescription of Aplysia (Aplysia) nigra and Aplysia (Varria) inca (Mollusca: Heterobranchia) with comments on Aplysia from Peru". Zootaxa. 5222 (3): 205.
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