Aplysia willcoxi Heilprin, 1887a

Cunha, Carlo M. & Rosenberg, Gary, 2019, Type specimens of Aplysiida (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia) in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, with taxonomic remarks, Zoosystematics and Evolution 95 (2), pp. 361-372 : 361

Aplysia willcoxi Heilprin, 1887a Figure 6 A–D

Aplysia willcoxi Heilprin, 1887a: 364; Heilprin 1887b: 20, pl. 19.

Type locality.

Little Gasparilla Bay, west coast of Florida, USA.

Type material.

Syntypes (ex Heilprin 1887): A2262, 5 specimens with radula associated and 3 loose shells; ANSP 64260, SEM stub with fragment of radula.

Remarks.

The ledger entry for ANSP 64260 says six specimens in alcohol. Heilprin (1887b: 20) noted that a half dozen specimens were collected with dip-nets by Joseph Willcox and the expedition cook (Moses Natteal, p. iii), so one syntype is currently missing. The alcohol lot was subsequently renumbered as A2262, but we retained the dry number for an SEM stub with a radular fragment. All specimens were previously dissected, with the radula having been removed and kept with the specimens.

ANSP 63628 contains shells (and fragments) of about seven individuals collected by Willcox, from Marco, Florida donated by Joseph Leidy. We do not consider these parts of the type series as the locality was not mentioned in the original description.

Current systematic position.

Aplysia fasciata Poiret, 1789 (fide Medina et al. 2005; Rosenberg et al. 2009).