Elysia orientalis Ortea, Moro & Espinosa in Ortea, Moro, Caballer & Espinosa, 2011

Krug, Patrick J., Vendetti, Jann E. & Valdés, Ángel, 2016, Molecular and morphological systematics of Elysia Risso, 1818 (Heterobranchia: Sacoglossa) from the Caribbean region, Zootaxa 4148 (1), pp. 1-137 : 94-95

Elysia orientalis Ortea, Moro & Espinosa in Ortea, Moro, Caballer & Espinosa, 2011

( Fig. 56 B)

Elysia orientalis Ortea, Moro & Espinosa in Ortea, Moro, Caballer & Espinosa 2011: 205 –206, pl. 5 (Type locality: Playita de 14-16, Miramar, Havana, Cuba).

Type material. Elysia orientalis— holotype at IESH (no catalogue number provided).

Material examined. Blue Heron Bridge / Phil Foster Park, Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida, USA, 8 March 2013, 1 specimen ( CPIC 00842 ).

Live animal. The live animal moves actively while keeping the parapodia open.

External anatomy. Ortea, Moro & Espinosa in Ortea et al. (2011) described this species as snow white dorsally and pinkish laterally, with numerous red dots and scattered blue dots as well as some white bumps. Two longitudinal green striations posterior to the eyes and a transverse green band posterior to the parapodia. Rhinophores translucent with two white bands. Body rhomboidal with “flat” parapodia raised posteriorly. Video of the specimen we examined from Florida shows a small Elysia with a general opaque white color and darker pigment. The body is short, with a well-differentiated tail. Rhinophores translucent with two transversal opaque white bands. Parapodia forming ovoid side flaps.

Internal anatomy. Radula lost during preparation; not described by Ortea et al. (2011). Penis small and curved (CPIC 00842) with no apparent armature ( Fig. 56 B).

Reproduction and development. No data available.

Host ecology. No data available.

Phylogenetic relationships. A specimen conforming to the description of E. orientalis from Florida ( CPIC 00842 ) was sequenced, and was genetically distinct from all other Caribbean species of Elysia studied in the present work; however, further morphological analysis is needed. Our E. cf. orientalis was sister to the rest of subclade 4, the E. tomentosa complex, although without significant support in the ML analysis. Range . Cuba (Ortea et al. 2011); Florida (present study)

Remarks. Our specimen from Florida matches the original description of the holotype from Cuba. However, further specimens are needed to better characterize this poorly known and recently described species, for which detailed data on development, ecology and internal anatomy are lacking.

Figures

FIGURE 56. Penial morphology of some species examined. A, Elysia buonoi n. sp. (LACM 178675) B, Elysia orientalis (CPIC 00842). C, Elysia ellenae (LACM 178663). D, Elysia pawliki n. sp. (LACM 3303). E, Elysia christinae n. sp. (LACM 3309). F, Elysia zemi n. sp. (LACM 3307). G, Elysia taino n. sp. (LACM 178607). H, Elysia hamanni n. sp. (LACM 178667). Abbreviations: dd, deferent duct; pe, penis; s, stylet.