Diaulula hispida (d'Orbigny, 1834)

Cetra, Nicolás & Roche, Andrea, 2023, Nudibranchia (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from San Matías Gulf, Northern Argentine Patagonia, Zootaxa 5244 (5), pp. 455-473 : 460

Diaulula hispida (d'Orbigny, 1834)

Material examined. Argentina, San Matías gulf, Caleta Los Hornitos, BENTOS 2008, two specimens, 65 m (ESCM-Ma-22) .

Description. Length up to 80 mm, body whitish with brown dots, or body completely brown to dark brown. Undulating dorsal ridge. Mantle covered by very thin caryophyllidia, forming a collar at the base of the rhinophores. 6-7 tripinnate gill leaves surround the anal papilla. Oral tentacles digitiform. Foot bilabiate, with upper lip notched. The radular formula is 24 x 32.0.32. The lateral teeth are simple and smooth.

Geographic distribution and depth range. Argentina, from Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut to central Chile in Valparaiso, Chile ( Schrödl 1996, 1997a, 2000, 2003). Found at 65 m depth.

Remarks. According to Valdés & Gosliner (2001) D. hispida is characterized by a notum ridge, common to the members of the genus Atagema Gray, J.E. 1850 (= Trippa see Marcus 1959). On the contrary, Marcus (1959) considered that this species fits better within the genus Diaulula , due to morphological differences in the mouth of Trippa species. Until more information is available, D. hispida should be maintained in Diaulula ( Schrödl 2003) .