Berghia dakariensis explained

Berghia dakariensis is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch. It is a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.^[1]

Distribution

This species was described from Senegal, West Africa. Baeolidia benteva was described from the Caribbean Sea and is currently considered to be a synonym of this species.^[2] Carmona et al.^[3] considered S. dakariensis to be a nomen dubium since “some forms of Spurilla neapolitana, Spurilla sp. A and Spurilla braziliana could be attributed to Spurilla dakariensis. Additionally, it has been shown that the radular morphology of aeolidiids does not allow unequivocal identification of species."^{[4] [5]}

Description

The maximum recorded body length is 19 mm.^[6]

Habitat

Minimum recorded depth is 0 m.^[6] Maximum recorded depth is 0 m.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Bouchet, P. (2014). Berghia dakariensis (Pruvot-Fol, 1953). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-02-23
2. Caballer M. & Ortea J. (2013). Spurilla dakariensis Pruvot-Fol 1953 (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia: Aeolidoidea), a valid species of Berghia Trinchese 1877 from Senegal, West Africa. Journal of Conchology 41(4): 439-443.
3. Carmona, L., Pola, M., Gosliner, T.M. & Cervera, J.L. (2013). A tale that morphology fails to tell: a molecular phylogeny of Aeolidiidae (Aeolidida, Nudibranchia, Gastropoda). PLoS ONE, 8: e63000. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063000
4. Carmona, L. 2013. Sistemática de los moluscos nudibranquios de la familia Aeolidiidae (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia). PhD thesis, Universidad de Cádiz.
5. Carmona L., Pola M., Gosliner T.M. & Cervera J.L. (2014). The Atlantic-Mediterranean genus Berghia Trinchese, 1877 (Nudibranchia: Aeolidiidae): taxonomic review and phylogenetic analysis. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 80(5): 482-498.
6. Welch J. J. (2010). "The “Island Rule” and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. .