Neptunazurea

Neptunazurea is a genus of sea slugs, dorid nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod mollusks in the in family Chromodorididae^[2].

Neptunazurea was established after analysis of several small blue species previously placed in Felimare. There had never been a clear set of diagnostics for Felimare, as the genus was re-established as a result of molecular phylogenetic analysis only; morphological features were not taken into account. The species then included in Felimare (placed previously in Hypselodoris and Mexichromis) shared neither external and internal anatomies nor reproductive morphologies^[1].

In Ribeiro et al. (2025)^[1], a study was done re-investigating Felimare with special focus on the blue, smaller species of the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Both molecular and morphological analyses performed, and a distinct, consistent set of diagnostic material was able to be established. Thus, Neptunazurea was proposed as a new genus within Chromodorididae.

Species within Neptunazurea include^[2]:

• Neptunazurea francoisae Bouchet, 1981
• Neptunazurea garciagomezi Ortea & Á. Valdés, 1996
• Neptunazurea kempfi Ev. Marcus, 1971
• Neptunazurea molloi Ortea & Á. Valdés, 1996
• Neptunazurea paulomirpuri Ortea & Moro, 2018
• Neptunazurea porterae T. D. A. Cockerell, 1901
• Neptunazurea sisalensis Ortigosa & Á. Valdés, 2012

Neptunazurea are small chromodorids that can grow up to 30mm long. Their bodies are elongate and narrow, with sides of foot generally not visible on account of a smooth mantle. All species have a mantle that is blue or white, with a white or pale blue "single central longitudinal line". The mantle is edged with a single narrow band that can be yellow, orange, or white. The rhinophores are blue and lamellate. The gills are small, with blue rachis and blue or translucent white leaves^[1].

The oral tube is three times as long as the buccal bulb. There are "mole-paw shaped jaw rodlets", and the radula are very in comparison to body length. There is a short, undifferentiated prostate, a large vagine, and a short, wide uterine duct^[1].