Species Aplysia parvula Mörch, 1863

Museums

Regional Maps

• Aplysia parvula Guilding in Mörch, O.A.L. 1863. Contributions à la faune malacologique des Antilles danoises. Journal de Conchyliologie 3 11: 21-43 [22].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, St Thomas, West Indies.
• Aplysia norfolkensis Sowerby, G.B. II 1869. Monograph of the genus Aplysia. pls 1-10 in Reeve, L. (ed.). Conchologia Iconica. London : L. Reeve Vol. 17 pls 1-10 (plates only). [pl. 10 species 42].

  Type data:

   Holotype Specimen lost (Specimen probably lost, it was not found at the Natural History Museum, UK), Norfolk Island, Australia.
• Aplysia australiana Clessin, S. 1899. Die Familie der Aplysiidae. In: Küster HC, Kobelt W, eds. Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz. Nürnberg : Bauer & Kaspe Vol. 1(8) pp. 1–58.

  Type data:

   Holotype Specimen lost (Specimen probably lost, not found at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (ZMB)), Only listed as Australia.

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Marshall, J.G. & Willan, R.C. 1999. Nudibranchs of Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef. Leiden : Backhuys 257 pp. (synonyms follow this publication)
• Nimbs, M.J., Willan, R.C. & Smith, S.D.A. 2017a. Is Port Stephens, eastern Australia, a global hotspot for biodiversity of Aplysiidae (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia)? Molluscan Research 37(1): 45-65 [52, Fig. 2F]

 

Introduction

A recent study conducted by Golestani et al. (2019) revealed that Aplysia parvula represented a complex of species, with the name subsequently restricted to specimens from the Atlantic. Specimens from the western Pacific were assigned the name Aplysia atromarginata (as it was the most appropriate name available). Notably, specimens from the south-west Pacific were not genetically analysed and further work is required to determine their true identity; these specimens have been referred to as Aplysia aff. parvula (See Nimbs et al. 2020)).

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Circum-global tropical and temperate seas: 0-50 m. Nimbs et al (2017) consider the species to occur on the NSW coast from Hastings Point to Black Head, near Nadgee. Australian distribution modified following maps presented in Nimbs et al. (2017) Zoological Studies 56.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IMCRA

Lord Howe Province (14), Norfolk Island Province (21), Christmas Island Province (23), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition (32), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Marine.

 

General References

Burn, R. 2006. A checklist and bibliography of the Opisthobranchia (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Victoria and the Bass Strait area, south-eastern Australia. Museum Victoria Science Report 10: 1-42

Edgar, G.J. 1997. Australian Marine Life, the plants and animals of temperate waters. Kew, Victoria, Australia : Reed Books 544 pp. [272] (photo)

Golestani, H., Crocetta, F., Padula, V., Camacho-García, Y., Langeneck, J., Poursanidis, D., Pola, M., Baki yokeş, M., Cervera, J.L., Jung, D-W., Gosliner, T.M., Araya, J.F., Hooker, Y., Schrödl, M. & Valdés, Á. 2019. The little Aplysia coming of age: from one species to a complex of species complexes in Aplysia parvula (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 187(2): 279–330

Marshall, J.G. & Willan, R.C. 1999. Nudibranchs of Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef. Leiden : Backhuys 257 pp. [27-28]

Nimbs, M.J., Hutton, I., Davis, T.R., Larkin, M.F. & Smith, S.D.A. 2020. The heterobranch sea slugs of Lord Howe Island, NSW, Australia (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 132: 12–41

Wells, F.E. & Bryce, C.W. 1993. Sea Slugs of Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 184 pp. [43, 44] (photo: species 38)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
15-Sep-2023	APLYSIOIDEA Lamarck, 1809	27-Jul-2023	MODIFIED
03-Oct-2018	HETEROBRANCHIA	29-May-2018	MODIFIED	Ingo Burghardt (AM) Ms Anouk Mututantri
11-Jan-2016	OPISTHOBRANCHIA	23-Jun-2014	MODIFIED	Dr Robin Wilson
25-Mar-2011		25-Mar-2011	MOVED
25-Mar-2011		25-Mar-2011	MOVED
		24-Mar-2011	(import)