Stylocheilus

Stylocheilus is a genus of sea slugs, specifically sea hares, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.[2][3]

Stylocheilus
Stylocheilus striatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Clade: Euopisthobranchia
Clade: Anaspidea
Superfamily: Aplysioidea
Family: Aplysiidae
Genus: Stylocheilus
Gould, 1852[1]
Type species
Aplysia longicauda Quoy & Gaimard, 1825

According to some authors this genus belongs in the family Dolabriferidae.

Species

Species in the genus Stylocheilus include:

  • Stylocheilus polyomma (Mörch, 1863)
  • Stylocheilus rickettsi (MacFarland, 1966)
  • Stylocheilus striatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1832
    • Distribution : circumtropical; intertidal, occurs up to 30 m depth
    • Length : 65 mm
    • Color : brownish, with blue spots; lined species, with dark longitudinal lines (as stated by its name striatus) and small eyespots, providing excellent camouflage.
    • Description : Feeds on blue-green algae; gives off a purple ink when disturbed.
Taxon inquirendum
  • Stylocheilus longicauda Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 - Blue-ring Sea Hare, Lemon Sea Hare (used to be called Stylocheilus citrina)
    • Distribution : circumtropical, Indo-West Pacific.
    • Color : bright yellow or green with bluish eyespots, no lines.
    • Description : This is one of the most specialized sea hares; elongate body with a long "tail" (as stated by its name longicauda), adapted for living on floating seaweed; feeds on Mermaid's Hair, blue-green algae of species Lynghya majuscula; at times, they are abundant, with several thousands crawling in the sand, traveling in chains ("snail trail") up to 10 m long
Species brought into synonymy
  • Stylocheilus citrinus (Rang, 1828) is a synonym of Stylocheilus longicauda (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)
  • Stylocheilus lineolatus Gould, 1852: synonym of Stylocheilus longicauda (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)
  • Stylocheilus quercinus Gould, 1852


References
  1. Gould A. (1852). "Mollusca and Shells". In: Wilkes Ch., United States Exploring Expeditions, 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N.. Philadelphia, C. Sherman & son, 12: pages 224-225.
  2. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Stylocheilus Gould, 1852. Accessed on 2021-01-27.
  3. Bazzicalupo, E.; Crocetta, F.; Gosliner, T. M.; Berteaux-Lecellier, V.; Camacho-García, Y. E.; Chandran, B. K. S.; Valdés, Á. (2020). Molecular and morphological systematics of Bursatella leachii de Blainville, 1817 and Stylocheilus striatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1832 reveal cryptic diversity in pantropically distributed taxa (Mollusca : Gastropoda : Heterobranchia). Invertebrate Systematics. 34: 535-568.
  • Rolán E., 2005. Malacological Fauna From The Cape Verde Archipelago. Part 1, Polyplacophora and Gastropoda
  • SEM images of the radula can be found at Thompson, T.E.; Bebbington, A. (1973). "Scanning electron microscope studies of gastropod radulae". Malacologia. 14: 147–165.
  • Image of the Blue-ring Sea Hare
  • 'Snail trail' of the Blue-ring Sea Hare
  • Image of Stylocheilus striatus
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