Aegires palensis Ortea, Luque & Templado, 1990
This is a species whose few observed specimens measure between 2 and 9 mm in length. The body color is yellowish cream but there are numerous white scores that give a lighter appearance to some areas of the body like the head and gill leaves; there are also brown or olive green rounded or elongated stains distributed throughout the body. The brown spots remain in the preserved animals. The front cephalic veil is rounded. All the dorsum, body flanks and tail have rounded apex tubercles of different sizes. The larger are on the back, forming four rows of two tubercles, two central rows and two rows on the sides. Tubercles of each row are connected by ridges and the 4 ridges converge in front of another mid-dorsal ridge ahead of the more anterior central tubercles, passing between the rhinophores and branching ahead of them finishing into the two tubercles on the back of the head . There is also a row of tubercles along the flanks of the body. Body tubercles often have a brown spot at the end. The rhinophores are smooth and light coloured but have 1 or 2 darker colored bands near the tip; the rhinophoric sheath opens upward and has three outer lobes and three internal lobes (Ortea et al. 1990). The gill consists of three small white tripinnate leaves that are protected on the front and sides by 3-4 thick tubercles similar to the ones on the rest of the body. The edges of the foot are often also stained brown.
Biology
Because of the few known specimens of this species (4) very little is known of its biology. We know at least that it can live from shallow bottoms (3 m) between rocks and Posidonia oceanica (Seas Slug Forum), among masses of algae with epibiont sponges and bryozoans and organic detritus bottoms to 34 m deep.
Etymology
- Aegires, related to the Norse and Celtic god of the seashore and ocean, Aegir. Although he was feared for causing storms when angry, he was also reknowned for his hospitality as the brewer of beer for the gods, the sea foam being considered homologous with the froth on a glass of beer.
- Palensis. From the Cape of Palos, in SE Spain, near the type locality for the species.
Distribution
So far this species has only been observed in the western Mediterranean coast: in the coast of Almería (Spain), in the Cape of Palos (Cervera et al., 2004), in the French Mediterranean (Sea Slug Forum) and, very recently, in Es Caials (Cadaqués) in the Spanish Costa Brava (VIMAR observation).
| 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: | ☆☆☆☆☆ |
More pictures
- We have no (more) pictures for Aegires palensis
Bibliography
Ballesteros, M., M. Pontes, and E. Madrenas. 2019. Els nudibranquis del mar català. Brau Edicions, Figueres.
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.
Ballesteros, M., E. Madrenas, and M. Pontes. 2023. OPK - Opistobranquis. (https://opistobranquis.info/).
Cervera, J. L., G. Calado, C. Gavaia, M. A. E. Malaquías, J. Templado, M. Ballesteros, J. C. García-Gómez, and C. Megina. 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.
Fahey, S. J., and T. M. Gosliner. 2004. A phylogenetic analysis of the Aegiridae Fischer, 1883 (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Phanerobranchia) with descriptions of eight new species and a reassessment of Phanerobranch relationships. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, (4) 55(34): 613–689.
Garcia, F. J., and H. Bertsch. 2009. Diversity and distribution of the Gastropoda Opisthobranchia from the Atlantic Ocean: A global biogeographic approach. Scientia Marina. 73: 153–160.
Long, S. J. 2006. Bibliography of Opisthobranchia 1554-2000. Bayside Books & Press, Tustin, CA, U.S.A. 672p.
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).
Moreno, D., and J. Templado. 1998. Nuevas aportaciones al conocimiento de los opistobranquios del sureste español. II. Iberus 16 (2): 39-58.
Ortea, J., A. A. Luque, and J. Templado. 1990. Contributions to the knowledge of the genus Aegires Lovén, 1844 (Opisthobranchia: Doridoidea: Aegiretidae) in the North Atlantic, with descriptions of two new species. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 56: 333–337.
Prkić, J., A. Petani, Ð. Iglić, and L. Lanča. 2018. Stražnjoškržnjaci Jadranskoga Mora: Slikovni Atlas i Popis Hrvatskih Vrsta / Opisthobranchs of the Adriatic Sea: Photographic Atlas and List of Croatian Species. Ronilaćki Klub Sveti Roko, Bibinje.
Rudman W.B. et al. 1998. Aegires palensis accessed through: Sea Slug Forum on 2014-12-14. (http://seaslugforum.net/showall/aegipale).
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.
Templado, J., L. Baratech, M. T. Aparicio, M. Villena, and M. Calvo. 1993a. Los “ejemplares tipo” de las colecciones malacológicas del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC). Madrid: 328 pp.
Trainito, E., and M. Doneddu. 2014. Nudibranchi del Mediterraneo, 2nd. ed. Il Castello.
WoRMS Editorial Board. 2023. World Register of Marine Species. WoRMS. (http://www.marinespecies.org).
Further reading
Cite this article as:
Ballesteros, M., Madrenas, E. & Pontes, M. (2023) "Aegires palensis" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 12/04/2015. Accessed: 04/06/2023. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/Cm1eJ)
