Home Introduction to Opisthobranchs Species by geographic zone Croatia

Croatia

These are the opisthobranch mollusc species actually known in the coasts of Croatia (Adriatic Sea) according to Prkić et al. (2018) with additions and changes to include species and taxonomic changes issued after the book publication:

Notes by Jakov Prkić:

  • Callostracon tyrrhenicum Smriglio & Mariottini, 1996 is originally described as Callostracon, not Colostracon as stated by WoRMS. This matter was disscused in a paper written by Repetto & Bianco (2012), in that paper the authors have written as a correct name: Callostracon tyrrhenicum Smriglio & Mariottini, 1996, without brackets around the author’s name.
  • Haminoea fusari Alvarez, Garcia & Villani, 1993 is a correct name, but on WoRMS is written in brackets, obviously an error.
  • Synonymy on WoRMS between Laona pruinosa and Laona membranacea (Monterosato, 1880) is based on a paper written by Ohnheiser & Malaquias (2013), but the opinion of these authors is probably not correct because in the Mediterranean live two similar species, among which L. membranacea has a smooth shell. Monterosato introduced this taxon without any description, so it is a nomen nudum. In a recent paper written by Apolloni et al. (2018) about types of taxa described by Monterosato there is no mention of Philine membranacea, but its syntype is figured in a paper of Gaglini (1991). Van der Linden (1995) also pointed out that the first valid introduction of the name was by Sykes (1905), so that the type material of P. membranacea is not constituted by material from the MTRS, but by the holotype figured by Sykes (1905) and deposited, according to the author, in the Natural History Museum of London. Because of all these reasons, Sykes is stated here as the author of this taxon.
  • Synonymy between Melanochlamys algirae and M. seurati is based on the opinion of Micali & Scuderi (2006) where they described and figured (figs. 2 and 3) a specimen of Philine identified by them as M. seurati. There are two species of white coloured Melanochlamys in the Mediterranean, so the synonymy between M. algirae and M. seurati is very disputable. Taxon Bulla algirae A. Adams in G.B. Sowerby II, 1850 was introduced by A. Adams on the basis of a single shell collected in Algeria by Robert MacAndrew. Adams’ description of B. algirae is very brief, but figure 55 clearly shows a shell of Melanochlamys. Unfortunately A. Adams has not mentioned the size of that shell. A research in the old collections housed in British museums for the holotype of Bulla algirae rendered no results. Without that shell we cannot know what its size, and this feature is very important for identification of the two Mediterranean species, which have very similar shells, with the exception of a great difference in size. So, as a consequence, Bulla algirae should be declared as a nomen dubium. On the other hand, there are some parts of animal of Doridium seurati preserved in MNHN, but its identity is still doubtful because description and drawings by Vayssière do not correspond in all details to the features of Melanochlamys.
  • Regarding Runcina ferruginea and it possible synonymy with R. zavodniki stated at WoRMS, according to DNA analysis of the Adriatic specimens of R. zavodniki and UK specimens of R. ferruginea these two species are different.

Bibliography

    Bouchet P, Rocroi JP, Hausdorf B, et al. 2017. Revised classification, nomenclator and typification of gastropod and monoplacophoran families. Malacologia. 61(1–2):1–526.
    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.
    Furfaro G, Picton BE, Martynov AV, et al. 2016. Diaphorodoris alba Portmann & Sandmeier, 1960 is a valid species: molecular and morphological comparison with D. luteocincta (M. Sars, 1870) (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia). Zootaxa. 4193(2):304–316. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4193.2.6.
    Korshunova T, Martynov AV, Picton BE. 2017. Ontogeny as an important part of integrative taxonomy in tergipedid aeolidaceans (Gastropoda: Nudibranchai) with a description of a new genus and species from the Barents Sea. Zootaxa 4324 (1): 1-22. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4324.1.1.
    Prkić J, Petani A, Iglić Ð, et al. 2018. Stražnjoškržnjaci Jadranskoga Mora: Slikovni Atlas i Popis Hrvatskih Vrsta / Opisthobranchs of the Adriatic Sea: Photographic Atlas and List of Croatian Species. Bibinje: Ronilaćki Klub Sveti Roko. 464 p. Available from https://opistobranquis.info/en/recursos/llibres-recomanats/opisthobranchs-of-the-adriatic-sea/.

    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.

Cite this article as:

Pontes, Miquel (2012-2025) "Croatia" in OPK-Opistobranquis. Published: 03/01/2019. Accessed: 03/02/2025. Available at (https://opistobranquis.info/en/?p=27745)