Elysia mercieri (Pruvot-Fol, 1930)

Mehrotra, Rahul, A. Caballer Gutierrez, Manuel, M. Scott, Chad, Arnold, Spencer, Monchanin, Coline, Viyakarn, Voranop & Chavanich, Suchana, 2021, An updated inventory of sea slugs from Koh Tao, Thailand, with notes on their ecology and a dramatic biodiversity increase for Thai waters, ZooKeys 1042, pp. 73-188 : 73

* Elysia mercieri (Pruvot-Fol, 1930) Figure 4K

Material examined.

One specimen 12 mm, SO.

Ecology.

Found upon concrete artificial reefs in soft sediment habitats that formed part of coral restoration efforts. Depth 11-14 m.

Distribution.

Across the Indo-Pacific including the Red Sea ( Yonow 2015), Indonesia ( Eisenbarth et al. 2018), Japan ( Trowbridge et al. 2011), Mariana Islands ( Carlson and Hoff 2003), Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Guam ( Gosliner et al. 2008). Here representing a first record for Thai waters.

Remarks.

Elysia mercieri is known to be predated upon by the nudibranch Gymnodoris okinawae Baba, 1936 ( Nakano and Hirose 2011).

Figures

Figure 4. A Costasiella cf. kuroshimae 6 mm B Costasiella usagi 6 mm C Limapontiidae sp. 3 mm D Plakobranchus noctisstellatus 21 mm (photograph by Pau Urgell Plaza) E Plakobranchus ocellatus 32 mm F Plakobranchus papua 27 mm G Plakobranchus papua 21 mm on Holothuria edulis H Elysia aowthai 12 mm I Elysia asbecki 15 mm J Elysia cf. marginata 70 mm K Elysia mercieri 12 mm L Elysia obtusa 9 mm.