Stylocheilus

Stylocheilus
Stylocheilus striatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Euopisthobranchia clade Aplysiomorpha P. Fischer, 1883
Superfamily:	Aplysioidea
Family:	Aplysiidae
Genus:	Stylocheilus Gould, 1852
Type species
Aplysia longicauda Quoy & Gaimard, 1825

Stylocheilus is a genus of sea slugs, specifically sea hares, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.

According to some authors this genus belongs in the family Dolabriferidae.

Species

Species in the genus Stylocheilus include:

• Stylocheilus longicauda Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 - Blue-ring Sea Hare, Lemon Sea Hare (used to be called Stylocheilus citrina)
  • Distribution : circumtropical, Indo-West Pacific.
  • Color : bright yellow or green with bluish eyespots, no lines.
  • Description : This is one of the most specialized sea hares; elongate body with a long "tail" (as stated by its name longicauda), adapted for living on floating seaweed; feeds on Mermaid's Hair, blue-green algae of species Lynghya majuscula; at times, they are abundant, with several thousands crawling in the sand, traveling in chains ("snail trail") up to 10 m long
• Stylocheilus striatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1832
  • Distribution : circumtropical; intertidal, occurs up to 30 m depth
  • Length : 65 mm
  • Color : brownish, with blue spots; lined species, with dark longitudinal lines (as stated by its name striatus) and small eyespots, providing excellent camouflage.
  • Description : Feeds on blue-green algae; gives off a purple ink when disturbed.

Taxon inquirendum

• Stylocheilus quercinus Gould, 1852

Species brought into synonymy

• Stylocheilus citrinus (Rang, 1828) is a synonym of Stylocheilus longicauda (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)
• Stylocheilus lineolatus Gould, 1852: synonym of Stylocheilus longicauda (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)

References

• Rolán E., 2005. Malacological Fauna From The Cape Verde Archipelago. Part 1, Polyplacophora and Gastropoda

External links

• Gould A. (1852). Mollusca and Shells [in]: United States Exploring Expeditions, 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N.. Philadelphia, C. Sherman & son : vol. 12, xv + 510 pp
• SEM images of the radula can be found at Thompson, T.E.; Bebbington, A. (1973). "Scanning electron microscope studies of gastropod radulae". Malacologia. 14: 147–165.
• Image of the Blue-ring Sea Hare
• 'Snail trail' of the Blue-ring Sea Hare
• Image of Stylocheilus striatus