Genus Hesione Savigny in Lamarck, 1818

Hesione splendida Savigny in Lamarck, 1818

DISTRIBUTION: NA, CA, SA.

LITERATURE RECORDS: Grube 1864; Stossich 1883; Carus 1884; Graeffe 1905; Santucci 1922; Vatova 1928, 1932; Fauvel 1934; Gamulin-Brida 1967; Gamulin-Brida et al. 1968; Bellan 1969; Banse 1970; Amoureux & Katzmann 1971; Katzmann 1972; Marcuzzi 1972; Požar-Domac 1983, 1986; Sordino 1989; Špan et al. 1989; Požar-Domac 1994; Zahtila 1995; Zavodnik & Kovačić 2000; Nonnis et al. 2002; Castelli et al. 2008. OTHER REPORTED NAMES: Hesione pantherina Risso, 1826; Fallacia sicula Delle Chiaje.

REMARKS: According to F. Pleijel (pers. comm.), it is dubious whether the several colour polymorphic varieties of the genus Hesione represent several or one species. This is also the case of H. splendida and H. pantherina Risso, 1826, and for this reason, all the records of the two species in the Adriatic Sea are listed as H. splendida .