Aplysia cervina

Aplysia cervina
Original drawing of Aplysia cervina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Aplysiida
Family: Aplysiidae
Genus: Aplysia
Species:
A. cervina
Binomial name
Aplysia cervina
(Dall & C. T. Simpson, 1901)
Synonyms

Tethys cervina Dall & C. T. Simpson, 1901 superseded combination

Aplysia cervina is a species of gastropod mollusc in the genus Aplysia, family Aplysiidae.[1]

Description

The animal's length is 70 mm. The length of the shell attains 30 mm, its diameter 19 mm.

(Original description) The animal's body is elongated and flabby. Its mouth is encircled by thick lips, and it possesses short tentacles with eyes inserted anteriorly. The swimming lobes are thick and converge posteriorly, joining some distance in front of the caudal extremity. The mantle orifice is minute, and the mantle itself terminates posteriorly in a small fold. The foot is narrow and nearly smooth.

The body presents a lurid gray ground color, overlaid with darker reticulations and blotches. Additionally, its surface is uniformly covered with scattered, small, nearly round, smoky brown spots. The foot is smoky brown, notably lighter than these spots. The inner edges of the swimming lobes are beautifully and distinctly maculated with alternating light and dark patches. While the mantle shares the body's general coloration, it lacks the dark spots, and its dark reticulations exhibit a somewhat radiating pattern. .

The internal shell possesses a fairly robust calcareous layer and an elliptical outline. It features a moderately sized posterior sinus.[2]

Distribution

This species was discovered off Puerto Rico. It also occurs off Florida.

References

  1. ^ Aplysia cervina (Dall & C. T. Simpson, 1901). 23 September 2025. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species.
  2. ^ Dall, W. H. & Simpson, C. T. (1901). "The Mollusca of Porto Rico". Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission. 20: 365–366. Retrieved 23 September 2025.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  • Rosenberg, G.; Moretzsohn, F.; García, E. F. (2009). Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 579–699 in: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas.