Home Guide to Opisthobranchs Aplysiida Phyllaplysia lafonti

Phyllaplysia lafonti

Phyllaplysia lafonti (Fischer, 1870)

Phyllaplysia lafonti by Pontes, Miquel

Taxonomy
 

Superdomain

Biota  

 

Kingdom

Animalia  

 

Phylum

Mollusca  

 

Class

Gastropoda  

 

Subclass

Heterobranchia  

 

Infraclass

Euthyneura  

 

Subterclass

Tectipleura  

 

Order

Aplysiida  

 

Superfamily

Aplysioidea  

 

Family

Aplysiidae  

 

Genus

Phyllaplysia  

 

Species

Phyllaplysia lafonti  (P. Fischer, 1870)

 
 Classification according to Bouchet et al. (2017)
Taxonomic source: World Register of Marine Species (AphiaID: 139599).
Synonyms

  • Aplysia brongniarti de Blainville, 1823
  • Phyllaplysia brongniartii (Blainville, 1823)
  • Phyllaplysia paulinoi Mazzarelli, 1893

Description
The size of this species varies between 15 and 35 mm, although it has been cited a specimen of 50 mm in length. The body is flattened, somewhat narrower in the anterior side, and the outline is rounded or oval, shaped like a leaf. The coloration is variable but in most animals concentric green or gray bands can be seen on a white background. There are also white stain formed by groups of spots of the same color, aligned with the green or grey bands. The head is small and the rhinophores are green, they can also have a clear line in continuation of the ones on the back; anterior tentacles and rhinophores are rolled and the eyes are located before them. The parapodia are very poorly developed and completely cover the dorsal mantle. The mouth has a pair of short oral tentacles. The shell is rather flat, translucent, fragile and with growth striations.

Biology
Very little is known about the biology of this species besides it has long been confused with Petalifera petalifera. The specimens have been observed on algae and phanerogame seagrass like Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea which they are supposed to feed on.

Etymology

  • Phyllaplysia. From Greek “phyllon”, leaf + “aplysia”, sponge, dirty.
  • Lafonti. Dedicated to Alexandre Lafont, who published on cephalopods at least between 1869-71 and may possibly (but perhaps not likely) be the same A. Lafont, who is honoured in the bryozoan name Savignyella lafontii (Audouin, 1826).

Distribution
After its description in the French Atlantic coast in Arcachon Bay (Fischer, 1872) it has been observed in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea, also in Madeira and very recently in Tufia, Gran Canaria (3/09/2016, J.J.Calderín Peñate, pers.comm.). There are photographs and reports from the same species in the Indo-Pacific (Philippines, Japan, Hawaii, French Polynesia) that should be confirmed by molecular analysis. In Catalonia it has been observed in the Mateua Island, the Medes Islands and Cala Aiguafreda.

Known georeferenced records of the species: Phyllaplysia lafonti
Sources:
: OBIS
: GROC 2010-2011
: Enric Madrenas
: João Pedro Silva
: Bernard Picton
: GBIF.ORG		 : OPK
: VIMAR
: Manuel Ballesteros.
: M@re Nostrum
: Altres fonts
: Marine Regions

Abundance

    Western Mediterranean: ★★☆☆☆
    Eastern Mediterranean: ☆☆☆☆☆
    Atlantic Ocean: ★☆☆☆☆
Month

This chart displays the monthly observation probability for Phyllaplysia lafonti based on our own records.

Video

Phyllaplysia lafonti by Shane Siers (www.macronesia.net)

 

More pictures

Bibliography

    Averell, W. D. 1886. The Conchologists’ exchange.
    Ballesteros, M., E. Madrenas, and M. Pontes. 2023. OPK - Opistobranquis. (https://opistobranquis.info/).
    Ballesteros, M., M. Pontes, and E. Madrenas. 2015. Opisthobranch from Medes Islands (Marine Protected Area, Costa Brava, Catalonia, NE Spain): 40 years of study.
    Ballesteros, M., E. Madrenas, and M. Pontes. 2016. Actualización del catálogo de los moluscos opistobranquios (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) de las costas catalanas. Spira. 6: 1–28.
    de Blainville, H. M. 1823. Monographie du genre Aplysie (Aplysia Lin.). Journal de Physique, de Chimie, d’Histoire naturelle et des Arts 96: 277-288.
    Engel, H. 1936. Le genre Phyllaplysia P Fischer 1872. J Conchyl. 80: 199-212.
    Fasulo, G., F. Izzillo, G. F. Russo, F. Toscano, and G. Villani. 1985. Nota su Petalifera petalifera (Rang, 1828) (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia, Aplysiomorpha) specie mediterranea poco conosciuta. Considerazioni sistematiche, ecologiche e biogeografiche. Bollettino Malacologico 20 (9-12): 263-272.
    Fischer, P. 1872. Description d’une espèce nouvelle du genre Phyllaplysia. Journal de Conchyliologie 20: 295-296.
    Fischer, P. 1870. Observations sur les Aplysies. Ann. de Sci. Nat (5). Zool & Pal, 13: 3.
    Furfaro, G., F. Vitale, C. Licchelli, and P. Mariottini. 2020. Two Seas for One Great Diversity: Checklist of the Marine Heterobranchia (Mollusca; Gastropoda) from the Salento Peninsula (South-East Italy). Diversity. 12: 171.
    Huelin, M. F., and J. Ros. 1984. Els mol·lucs marins de les illes Medes In: Els sistemes naturals de les Illes Medes. Arxius de la Secció de Ciéncies, J Ros et al (eds) 73: 457-500. IEC. Barcelona, Spain.
    Imamoto, J. 2001. Phyllaplysia lafonti accessed through: Umiushi.info on 2014-12-14. (http://www.umiushi.info/kanri/photo_sql_eng.php?act=PSP&gakumei1=Phyllaplysia&gakumei2=lafonti&location_code=0000#).
    Koukouras, A. 2010. Checklist of marine species from Greece. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
    Long, S. J. 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000. Bayside Books & Press, Tustin, CA, U.S.A. 672p.
    Martinez, E. 1996. On Petalifera petalifera (Rang, 1828) (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia): New anatomical and geographical data. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 62: 243–250.
    McDonald, G. 2009. Bibliographia Nudibranchia. 2nd Online Edition, Annotated. 1072 pp  Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz. (http://escholarship.org/uc/item/8115h0wz).
    Pilsbry, H. A. 1893. Manual of conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species. (1)15: Polyplacophora (chitons). Acanthochitidae, Cryptoplacidae and appendix. Tectibranchiata, pp. 1-64 [1893], 65-180 [1894], 181-436 [1895], pl. 1-10 [1893], 11-42 [1894], 43-50, 59-61 [1895]. Philadelphia, Conchological Section, Academy of Natural Sciences. Manual of Conchology 15. Philadelphia.
    Pilsbry, H. A. 1895. Manual of conchology, structural and systematic : with illustrations of the species / by George W. Tryon, Jr. Published by the Author, Academy of Natural Sciences.
    Pilsbry, H. A. 1879. Manual of conchology, structural and systematic : with illustrations of the species / by George W. Tryon, Jr. Published by the Author, Academy of Natural Sciences.
    Pilsbry, H. A. 1885. Manual of conchology, structural and systematic : with illustrations of the species. by George W. Tryon, Jr. Second series, Pulmonata. Published by the Author.
    Pontes, M., J. M. Dacosta, A. Ollé i Callau, and L. Aguilar. 2023. M@re Nostrum. (http://marenostrum.org/).
    Rang, S. 1828. Histoire Naturelle des Aplysiens. Paris, Firmin Didot 83 pp., 24 pl.:
    Riedl, R. 1983. Fauna und Flora der Mittelmeeres, ein systematischer Meeresfuhrer fur Biologen und Naturfreunde, 836 pp. Paul Parey, Hamburg & Berlin.
    Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales. 1963. The Australian zoologist. Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales.
    Rudman W.B. et al. 1998. Phyllaplysia lafonti accessed through: Sea Slug Forum on 2014-12-14. (http://seaslugforum.net/showall/phyllafo).
    Templado, J., and R. Villanueva. 2010. Checklist of Phylum Mollusca. pp. 148-198 In Coll, M., et al., 2010. The biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea: estimates, patterns, and threats. PLoS ONE 5(8):36pp.
    Trainito, E., and M. Doneddu. 2014. Nudibranchi del Mediterraneo, 2nd. ed. Il Castello.
    Trainito, E., and S. Trainito. 2003. Mediterranean harlequins : a field guide to Mediterranean sea slugs. Taphros, Olbia (SS), Italia.
    Weltner, W. 1905. Archiv für Naturgeschichte, 2nd ed. Nicolaische Verlags - Buchhandlung R. Stricker, Berlín.
    WoRMS Editorial Board. 2023. World Register of Marine Species. WoRMS. (http://www.marinespecies.org).

    Bibliography based on the works by Steve Long, 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000 and Gary McDonald, 2009. Bibliographia Nudibranchia, with later updates from other resources.

Further reading

Cite this article as:

Ballesteros, M., Madrenas, E. & Pontes, M. (2023) "Phyllaplysia lafonti" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 15/05/2012. Accessed: 29/03/2023. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/yrs4v)

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