Some authors place this genus in a separate family Dolabriferidae. A new study, published in September 2004,[1] has shown that the genus Petalifera is paraphyletic.
(Note: Gastropod taxonomy has been in flux for more than half a century, and this is especially true currently, because of new research in molecularphylogeny. Because of all the ongoing changes, different reliable sources can yield very different classifications.)
A more general description can be found on the page of the superfamily Aplysioidea.
Description
The parapodia (fleshy winglike outgrowths), as can be seen in photos of Petalifera petalifera, are almost completely fused. The pair of small rounded flaps form the parapodial cavity over the mantle cavity and the vestigial shell. These sea hares swim by coiling and uncoiling the body.
Color: pink to pale brownish, with white rings over the body; almost translucent.
Description: mantle covered with firm conical tubercles; the larger tubercles have terminal papillae with retractable filamentous branches; difficult to find, mostly hidden under the leaves of green alga Caulerpa.
Footnotes
↑ Annette Klussmann-Kolb (2004). "Phylogeny of the Aplysiidae (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia) with new aspects of the evolution of seahares". Zoologica Scripta. 33 (5): 439–462. doi:10.1111/j.0300-3256.2004.00158.x. S2CID84214594.
↑ Farran, G. P. (1905). Report on the opisthobranchiate Mollusca collected by Professor Herdman, at Ceylon, in 1902. In: Report to the government of Ceylon on the pearl oyster fisheries of the Gulf of Manaar. Part 3 Suppl. Rept., (21):329-364, pls. 1-6.
↑ Rang S. (1828). Histoire Naturelle des Aplysiens. Paris, Firmin Didot 83 pp., 24 pl.
External links and references
Martinez, E. (1996). "On Petalifera petalifera (Rang, 1928) (Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia): new anatomical and geographical data". J. Molluscan Stud. 62 (2): 243–250. doi:10.1093/mollus/62.2.243.
Baba, K. (1959). "The Genus Petalifera and a new species, P. ramosa, from Japan". Publ. Seto Mar. Biol. Lab. VII (3): 41–43.
The clade Anaspidea, commonly known as sea hares, are medium-sized to very large opisthobranch gastropod molluscs with a soft internal shell made of protein. These are marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamilies Aplysioidea and Akeroidea.
Sea slug is a common name for some marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs. Most creatures known as sea slugs are actually gastropods, i.e. they are sea snails that over evolutionary time have either completely lost their shells, or have seemingly lost their shells due to having a greatly reduced or internal shell. The name "sea slug" is most often applied to nudibranchs, as well as to a paraphyletic set of other marine gastropods without obvious shells.
Opisthobranchs is now an informal name for a large and diverse group of specialized complex gastropods which used to be united in the subclass Opisthobranchia. That taxon is no longer considered to represent a monophyletic grouping.
Aplysiidae is the only family in the superfamily Aplysioidea, within the clade Anaspidea. These animals are commonly called sea hares because, unlike most sea slugs, they are often quite large, and when they are underwater, their rounded body shape and the long rhinophores on their heads mean that their overall shape resembles that of a sitting rabbit or hare. Sea hares are however sea snails with shells reduced to a small plate hidden between the parapodia, and some species are extremely large. The Californian black sea hare, Aplysia vaccaria is arguably the largest living gastropod species, and is certainly the largest living heterobranch gastropod.
Bursatella leachii, common name the ragged sea hare or shaggy sea hare, is a species of large sea slug or sea hare, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares. Previously thought to be a single worldwide species it is now known to be a species complex.
Dolabella is a genus of sea slugs or sea hares, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.
Notarchus is a genus of sea slugs or sea hares, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.
Phyllaplysia is a genus of sea slugs, specifically sea hares, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.
Aplysia is a genus of medium-sized to extremely large sea slugs, specifically sea hares, which are one clade of large sea slugs, marine gastropod mollusks.
Stylocheilus is a genus of sea slugs, specifically sea hares, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.
Syphonota geographica, or the geographic sea hare, is a species of sea slug or sea hare, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.
Haminoeoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of small sea snails or bubble shells, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the clade Cephalaspidea, the headshield slugs and bubble snails.
Dolabrifera dolabrifera is a species of sea hare, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.
Aplysia dactylomela, the spotted sea hare, is a species of large sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.
Aplysia extraordinaria, common name the "extraordinary sea hare", is a very large species of sea slug, more specifically a sea hare, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae, the sea hares.
Aplysia juliana, the walking sea hare, is a species of sea hare, a marine gastropod in the family Aplysiidae.
Juliidae, common name the bivalved gastropods, is a family of minute sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the superfamily Oxynooidea, an opisthobranch group.
Kikutaro Baba was a Japanese malacologist. He was the leading researcher on sea slugs and bubble snails, opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in Japan.
Hypselodoris sagamiensis is a species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.
Cadlina rumia is a species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cadlinidae.
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