Plakobranchus Explained

Plakobranchus is a genus of sea slugs, sacoglossans, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Plakobranchidae.^[1]

The author of the genus spelled the name originally as Plakobranchus, but the spelling Placobranchus was a long time the prevailing usage, based on an incorrect subsequent spelling by Férussac (1824) in a translation of van Hasselt's work.

Species

Species within the genus Plakobranchus include:

• Plakobranchus noctisstellatus Mehrotra, Caballer, C.M. Scott, Arnold, Monchanin & Chavanich, 2020
• Plakobranchus ocellatus van Hasselt, 1824
• Plakobranchus papua Meyers-Muñoz & van der Velde, 2016

Recent work on the photosynthetic abilities of Plakobranchus reveals that P. ocellatus is actually a species complex.^[2]

Synonyms:

• Plakobranchus argus Bergh, 1872: synonym of Plakobranchus ocellatus van Hasselt, 1824
• Plakobranchus camiguinus Bergh, 1872: synonym of Plakobranchus ocellatus van Hasselt, 1824
• Plakobranchus chlorophacus Bergh, 1873: synonym of Plakobranchus ocellatus van Hasselt, 1824
• Plakobranchus guttatus Stimpson, 1855: synonym of Plakobranchus ocellatus van Hasselt, 1824
• Plakobranchus ianthobaptus Gould, 1852: synonym of Plakobranchus ocellatus van Hasselt, 1824
• Plakobranchus laetus Bergh, 1872: synonym of Plakobranchus ocellatus van Hasselt, 1824
• Plakobranchus moebii Bergh, 1888: synonym of Thuridilla moebii (Bergh, 1888) (original combination)
• Plakobranchus priapinus Bergh, 1872: synonym of Plakobranchus ocellatus van Hasselt, 1824
• Plakobranchus punctulatus Bergh, 1872: synonym of Plakobranchus ocellatus van Hasselt, 1824
• Plakobranchus virgata Bergh, 1888: synonym of Thuridilla virgata (Bergh, 1888) (original combination)

References

• Trowbridge C.D., Hirano Y.M. & Hirano Y.J. (2011) Inventory of Japanese sacoglossan opisthobranchs: Historical review, current records, and unresolved issues. American Malacological Bulletin 29: 1-22.

External links

• Meyers-Muñoz M.A., van der Velde G., van der Meij S.E.T., Stoffels B.E.M.W., van Alen T., Tuti Y. & Hoeksema B.W. (2016). The phylogenetic position of a new species of Plakobranchus from West Papua, Indonesia (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia, Sacoglossa). ZooKeys. 594: 73-98.

Notes and References

1. Gofas, S. (2012). Plakobranchus van Hasselt, 1824. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2012-03-08
2. Christa G., Wescott L., Schäberle T.F., König G.M., Wägele H., (2013) What remains after 2 months of starvation? Analysis of sequestered algae in a photosynthetic slug, Plakobranchus ocellatus (Sacoglossa, Opisthobranchia), by barcoding. Planta. Feb;237(2):559-72. doi: 10.1007/s00425-012-1788-6. Epub 2012 Oct 30.