Amphorina pallida

Amphorina pallida (Alder & Hancock, 1842)

Amphorina pallida @ Salcombe, Devon, England. 18 May 1975 by Bernard Picton

Taxonomy
 

Superdomain

Biota  

 

Kingdom

Animalia  

 

Phylum

Mollusca  

 

Class

Gastropoda  

 

Subclass

Heterobranchia  

 

Infraclass

Euthyneura  

 

Subterclass

Ringipleura  

 

Superorder

Nudipleura  

 

Order

Nudibranchia  

 

Suborder

Cladobranchia  

 

Superfamily

Fionoidea  

 

Family

Eubranchidae  

 

Genus

Amphorina  

 

Species

Amphorina pallida  (Alder & Hancock, 1842)

 
 Classification according to Bouchet et al. (2017)
Taxonomic source: World Register of Marine Species (AphiaID: 423079).
Synonyms

  • Eolis pallida Alder & Hancock, 1842: 35–36.
  • Eolis minuta Alder & Hancock, 1842: 36.
  • Eolis picta Alder & Hancock, 1845: fam. 3, pl. 33.
  • Eolis flavescens Friele & Hansen, 1876: 78.
  • Eubranchus pallidus (Alder & Hancock, 1842): Edmunds & Kress 1969: 893–896,
    text figs 1, 3–6.
  • Amphorina pallida (Alder & Hancock, 1842): Martynov 1998: 775.
  • Galvina flavescens (Friele & Hansen, 1876) 
  • Galvina pallida (Alder & Hancock, 1842)
  • Galvina picta (Alder & Hancock, 1847)

Description
With a length of up to 25 mm the body is narrow and shows wide colour variations from completeley pale specimens with no spots on body or cerata, to specimens with many small rounded reddish orange or brown pigment spots covering both the body and cerata, but they never show any pigment on the tail. The rhinophores are smooth and 1.5–2 times longer than the oral tentacles. The upper part of both rhinophores and oral tentacles is commonly covered with white relatively dense spots and, in some specimens, with dense orange-reddish pigment, but without forming any pigment rings. Cerata are distributed in 7-9 groups with up to 5 cerata each,  relatively long, very broad, at times showing distinctly attenuated apexes that could be sprayed with white spots. The digestive gland inside the cerata is relatively broad without distinct short branches. The foot is narrow, anteriorly without foot corners.

Can be separated from other species of the genus by the following traits:

  • Small distinct rounded brownish orange pigment spots on the body (in spotted forms), and small brownish orange spots on the cerata.
  • Absence of any colours on the tail, both in spotted and pale specimens.
  • Absence of blackish body pigmentation or uniform orange or yellow colouration, typical of A.andra.
  • Absence of light pinkish subapical ring on cerata, typical of A.viriola.
  • Absence of a punctuated white line on external foot edges, typical of A.linensis.
  • Upper part of the rhinophores and oral tentacles are commonly covered with white relatively dense spots, also with orange-reddish spots on pigmented specimens.
  • Cerata often highly swollen, with distinctly attenuated apices, differently from those of A.linensis.
  • Up to 4 anterior rows of cerata.

Biology
The adults may feed on the hydroid Tubularia, however juveniles usually take smaller calyptoblastic hydroids such as Obelia dichotoma, which often grows on Tubularia, and Halecium species.. At the Swedish west coast it is found living below the halocline.

Etymology

  • Pallida. From Latin “pallidus”, pale, livid.

Distribution
In the Atlantic Ocean there are reports from the British isles, Norway, the Netherlands, France and in Galicia (NW Spain) which is the European Southern-most record to date; also from the American New England coast. Some references to its presence in Mediterranean shores should be revised, we have found none in literature.

Known georeferenced records of the species: Amphorina pallida
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 Amphorina pallida based on our own records.

More pictures

Bibliography

    Abbott RT. 1954. American seashells. With illus. by Frederick M. Bayer. Van Nostrand. Available from http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7258062.
    Abbott RT. 1974. American seashells. The marine mollusca of the Atlantic and Pacific coast of North America. Van Nostrand, New York. 663 pp., 24 pls. [October 1974].
    Alder J, Hancock A. 1842. Descriptions of several new species of nudibranchous mollusca found on the coast of Northumberland. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 9: 31-36.
    Anderson J. 1999 2014. Eubranchus pallidus accessed through: Scottish Nudibranchs on 2014-12-21. Available from http://www.nudibranch.org/Scottish Nudibranchs/eubranchus-pallidus.html.
    Baba K. 1960. Two new species of the genus Eubranchus from Japan (Nudibranchia - Eolidacea). Publications of the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory 8(2):299-302, pl 34.
    Ballesteros M. 1980. Contribución al conocimientos de los Sacoglosos y Nudibranquios (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia). Estudio anatómico, sistemático y faunístico de las especies del mediterráneo español. Tesis Doctoral. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona.
    Ballesteros M, Madrenas E, Pontes M. 2023. OPK - Opistobranquis. Available from https://opistobranquis.info/.
    Barletta G. 1981. Gasteropodi nudi (Pleurobranchomorpha, Sacoglossa, Aplysiomorpha e Nudibranchia) Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche, Guide per il riconoscimento delle specie animali delle acque lagunari e costiere italiane AQ/1/92, 3. Quaderni della Civica Stazione Idrobiologica di Milano (9):1-124.
    Bayer FM. 1963. Observations on pelagic mollusks associated with the siphonophores Velella and Physalia. Bull. Mar. Sci. of the Gulf & Caribbean 13(3):454-466.
    Bedulli D, Cattaneo-Vietti R, Chemello R, et al. 1995. Gastropoda Opisthobranchia, Divasibranchia, Gymnomorpha, Fascicolo 15, pp. 1-23.  In: A. Minelli, A. Ruffo, & S. La Posta (Eds.). Checklist delle specie fauna italiana. Bologna: Calderini (Checklist delle specie della Fauna Italiana).
    Bielecki S, Cavignaux G, Crouzet JM, et al. 2011. Des limaces de rêve.
    Brown GH, Picton BE. 1979. Nudibranchs of the British Isles — a colour guide. Underwater Conservation Society, Manchester, by R. Earll. 30 p.
    Cattaneo-Vietti R. 1986. Alcune considerazioni sui molluschi opistobranchi del Mar Ligure. Lavori Societa Italiana di Malacologia 22:85-96.
    Cattaneo-Vietti R, Barletta G. 1984. Elenco preliminare dei molluschi opistobranchi viventi nel Mediterraneo (Sacoglossa, Pleurobranchomorpha, Acochlidiacea, Aplysiomorpha, Nudibranchia). Bollettino Malacologico (Pubblicazione Mensile Edita dalla Societa Italiana di Malacologia) 20(9-12):195-218.
    Cattaneo-Vietti R, Thompson TE. 1989. Mediterranean opisthobranch molluscs: a zoogeographic approach. Bollettino Malacologico (Pubblicazione Mensile Edita dalla Societa Italiana di Malacologia) 25(5-8):183-204.
    Cattaneo-Vietti R, Chemello R, Giannuzzi-Savelli R. 1990. Atlas of Mediterranean Nudibranchs. Rome, Italy: La Conchiglia. 264 p.
    Cella K, Carmona L, Ekimova I, et al. 2016. A Radical Solution: The Phylogeny of the Nudibranch Family Fionidae. PLoS ONE 12/2016; 11(12):e0167800. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0167800.
    Cervera JL, Templado J, García-Gómez JC, et al. 1988. Catálogo actualizado y comentado de los Opistobranquios (Mollusca, Gastropoda) de la Península Ibérica, Baleares y Canarias, con algunas referencias a Ceuta y la isla de Alborán. Iberus, supl. 1: 1-84.
    Cervera JL, Calado G, Gavaia C, et al. 2004. An annotated and updated checklist of the opisthobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Spain and Portugal (including islands and archipelagos). Boletín Instituto Español de Oceanografía, 20 (1-4): 1-111. L.
    Debelius H, Kuiter RH. 2007. Nudibranchs of the world. Frankfurt: IKAN- Unterwasserarchiv. 360 pp. p.
    Edmunds M. 1966. Protective mechanisms in the Eolidacea (Mollusca, Nudibranchia). Journal of the Linnean Society (Zoology) 46(308):27-71, pls. 1-4.
    Edmunds M. 1969. Opisthobranchiate Mollusca from Tanzania. I. Eolidacea (Eubranchidae and Aeolidiidae). Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London 38:451-469; figs. 1-10.
    Edmunds M. 1991. Does warning coloration occur in nudibranchs. Malacologia 32(2):241-255.
    Edmunds M, Kress A. 1969. On the european species of Eubranchus (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 49: 879-912.
    Ekimova I, Mikhlina AL, Vorobyeva OA, et al. 2021. Young but distinct: description of Eubranchus malakhovi sp.n. a new, recently diverged nudibranch species (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) from the Sea of Japan. Invertebrate Zoology. 18(3):197–222. https://doi.org/10.15298/invertzool.18.3.02.
    Eliot CNE. 1906. Report upon a collection of Nudibranchiata from the Cape Verde islands, with notes by C. Crossland. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London l7(3): 131-159.
    Evertsen J, Bakken T. 2005. Nudibranch diversity (Heterobranchia, Gastropoda) along the coast of Norway. Fauna Norvegica, 25: 1-37.
    Evertsen J, Bakken T. 2013. Diversity of Norwegian sea slugs (Nudibranchia): new species to Norwegian coastal waters and new data on distribution of rare species. Fauna Norvegica 32: 45-52. https://doi.org/10.5324/fn.v31i0.1576.
    Fernández-Ovies CL. 1981. Contribución a la clasificación morfológica de las puestas de los opistobranquios (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Boletín de Ciencias de la Naturaleza del Instituto de Estudios Asturianos 28: 3-12.
    Garcia FJ, Bertsch H. 2009. Diversity and distribution of the Gastropoda Opisthobranchia from the Atlantic Ocean: A global biogeographic approach. Scientia Marina. 73(1):153–160. https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.2009.73n1153.
    Hayward PJ, Wigham GD, Yonow N. 1990. Mollusca I: Polyplacophora, Scaphopoda, and Gastropoda; pp. 628-730, In: , The marine fauna of the British Isles and north-west Europe, volume 2, xvi + 996 pp. Oxford University Press.
    Høisæter T. 1986. An annotated check-list of marine molluscs of the Norwegian coast and adjacent waters. Sarsia 71(2):73-175.
    Just H, Edmuns M. 1985. North atlantic nudibranchs (Mollusca) seen by Henning Lemche. Ophelia supplement 2: 1-150.
    Korshunova T, Malmberg K, Prkić J, et al. 2020. Fine-scale species delimitation: speciation in process and periodic patterns in nudibranch diversity. ZooKeys. 917: 15-50. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.917.47444.
    Long SJ. 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000. Bayside Books & Press, Tustin, CA, U.S.A. 672p.
    Løyning P. 1927. Nudibranchs from Bergen, collected in the neighborhood of the Biological Station at Herdla. Nyt Magazin for Naturvidenskaberne 65:243-264.
    Marcus EG. 1958. On western Atlantic opisthobranchiate gastropods. American Museum Novitates (1906):1-82. Available from http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/5128/1/N1906.pdf.
    Marcus EG. 1959. Reports from the Lund University Chile Expedition 1948-49, No. 36. Lamellariacea und Opisthobranchia. Lunds Universitets Arsskrift (Ny Foljd), Avd. 2, 55(9):1-133.
    McDonald G. 2009. Bibliographia Nudibranchia. 2nd Online Edition, Annotated. 1072 pp  Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz. Available from http://escholarship.org/uc/item/8115h0wz.
    McKay DW, Smith SM. 1979. Marine Mollusca of east Scotland. Royal  Scottish Museum. 185 pp. p.
    McMillan NF. 1968. British shells, xii + 196 pp. Frederick Warne & Co., Ltd.
    Menéndez JL, Oliveros J. 2004 2015. Eubranchus pallidus accessed through: AsturNatura on 2015-02-05. Available from http://www.asturnatura.com/especie/eubranchus-pallidus.html.
    Nunn JD. 2006. The marine Mollusca of Ireland 3. Lough Hyne, Co. Cork. Bulletin of the Irish  Biogeographical Society (30):114-292.
    Olesen M, Ockelmann KW, Weile K, et al. 2005. Naturforholdene i havet omkring  Læsø. Pilotprojekt Marin Nationalpark Læsø. Rapport udarbejdet for arbejdsgruppen Havet. 130 pp p.
    Ortea JA. 1980. Una nueva especie de Eubranchus (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia) de Tenerife, Islas Canarias. Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Universidad de Oviedo (Serie Biología) 20-21: 169-176.
    Osman RW. 1977. The establishment and development of a marine epifaunal community. Ecological Monographs 47(1):37-63.
    Picton B. 1981. Collections of nudibranch Mollusca from the Republic of Ireland made during 1981. Report to the Praeger Committee, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, 5 unnumbered pp.
    Picton BE, Morrow C. 1994. Eubranchus pallidus accessed through: Nudibranchs of the British Isles on 2014-12-14. Available from http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/species.asp?item=W15140#.
    Picton BE, Morrow C. 1994. A Field guide to the Nudibranchs of the British Isles. London: Immel Publishing Ltd. London: 143 pp.
    Roginskaya IS. 1998. The records of Eubranchus pallidus (Alder and Hancock, 1842) (Nudibranchia, Eubranchidae) from Aynovskye Islands (West Murman) (Barents Sea, Kandalaksha State Preserve). Opisthobr. Newsl. 24(9):39-40; figs. 1-2, A-H.

    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:

Pontes, Miquel, Manuel Ballesteros, Enric Madrenas (2023) "Amphorina pallida" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 18/09/2014. Accessed: 19/03/2024. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=14569)

To copy this cite click on the right button.