Aegires lemoncello

Photo courtesy of Terry Gosliner

Aegires lemoncello Fahey and Gosliner, 2004

The background color is pale yellowish white to creamy yellow. The papillae are deeper yellow, with a single ring of orange approximately half way along the length. The rhinophores are the same deeper yellow color as the papillae and the gill branches are pale yellow. The dorsum has elongate papillae that have flattened tops. The rhinophore sheath is slightly elevated and protected by a single elongated papilla on the outer edge. The gill is protected on the anterior side by five elongate papillae. Posterior to the gill are two small papillae near the center-line. This species is very small, approximately 4 mm in length.

Photo courtesy of Shireen Fahey

Externally and internally this species does not resemble any other Aegires species. The tubercles on A. lemoncello are soft papillae, and there is only one tubercle that lies at the outer side of the rhinophores. The tubercles on other Aegires species are firmer and spiculate. SEM of A. lemoncello radula seen at left.

Citation :

Fahey, S. J. & Gosliner, T. M. (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 CaliforniaAcademy of Sciences, 55, (34): 613–689, 82 figs., 4 tables (Appendix).

Photo courtesy of Dave Behrens
Taxonomic text courtesy of Shireen Fahey

Dr. Shireen Fahey and Dr. Terry Gosliner at California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California. Send Shireen email at sfahey@calacademy.org

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