Caloria elegans

Caloria elegans (Alder & Hancock, 1845)

• Caloria maculata Trinchese, 1888
• Eolis elegans Alder & Hancock, 1845 (original)

Description
The animals of this species have a very stylized translucent whitish body. The propodial tentacles are thin, translucent and iridescent-white on the leading edge. Oral tentacles are relatively long and of the same color of the propodials. The rhinophores are smooth, finely spotted in cream color and also iridescent-white coloured on the leading edge. In certain cases there are small papillae in certain specimens’ rhinophores. The eyes are clearly visible at the base of the rhinophores. The cerata 7-8 groups are tightly layed on the dorsum almost without gaps, so the back seems to have an homogeneous cover. The digestive gland extends inside the cerata, coloring them usually in yellow or cream tones, but some specimens have colorless cerata. However, all cerata have a very dark brown or black spot near the tip. The apex of the cerata is semitransparent, so with the aid of a binocular microscope it is possible to observe the hepatic duct and the apical cnidosac. Longer cerata are the most internal of each group, are curved and intersect with the cerata from the opposite side. It is not uncommon to observe malformations in some animals, such as bifurcated or trifurcated propodials tentacles and forked cerata near the apex. The foot is semitransparent and the tail is narrow with a middle-dorsal whitish line.

Biology
The Atlantic specimens can reach 34mm but in the Mediterranean they hardly make 20mm. They are very active, and extend their cerata resembling to an anemone when disturbed. C.elegans is usually located in rocky walls with algae and hydrarians abundance (Eudendrium, Obelia, Aglaophenia, Tubularia, Campanularia, Halecium, Plumularia) than it can feed on. Schmekel cites this species feeding on Perigonimus (now the genus Bougainvillia, athecate hydrozoan). Very little is known of the biology of this species.

Etymology

• Caloria, in honor to the professor Luigi Calori (1807-1896), President of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Bologna (Italy).
• Elegans = “elegant” in Latin.

Distribution
It is a widespread species in both European Atlantic and Mediterranean waters. It has also been recorded in the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Açores. In the Iberian Peninsula it has been observed in the Portuguese coast and along all the Mediterranean coasts, also in the Balearic islands. In Catalonia it appears sporadically in many different localities of the Costa Brava, also in the Maresme and in the Southern coast of Tarragona.

Known georeferenced records of the species: Caloria elegans

Sources:
OBIS GROC 2010-2011 Enric Madrenas João Pedro Silva Bernard Picton GBIF	OPK VIMAR Manuel Ballesteros M@re Nostrum Altres fonts Marine Regions

Similar species
Facelina quatrefagesi, rinophores lamellated on the rear side, bright orange coloured cerata. Historically confused.

Videos

More pictures

Caloria elegans by Enric Madrenas

Caloria elegans by Enric Madrenas

Caloria elegans by Enric Madrenas

Caloria elegans by Enric Madrenas

Caloria elegans by Enric Madrenas

Caloria elegans by Enric Madrenas

Caloria elegans by Enric Madrenas

Caloria elegans @ Tarifa by Manuel Martínez Chacón

Caloria elegans @ Ammouliani island, Halkidiki, Greece 27-03-2014 by Yiannis Iliopoulos

Caloria elegans by Miquel Pontes

Caloria elegans by Miquel Pontes

Caloria elegans by Miquel Pontes

Caloria elegans by Miquel Pontes

Caloria elegans @ France by Pascal Girard

Caloria elegans @ France by Pascal Girard

Caloria elegans @ Granada por Luis Sánchez Tocino

Bibliography

1246567 Caloria elegans 1 eunomia-revista-en-cultura-de-la-legalidad 50 creator asc 1 605 https://opistobranquis.info/wp-content/plugins/zotpress/
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

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