Author: (Risbec, 1928)

Order: Pleurobranchoidea  Family: Pleurobranchidae

Maximum Size: 40 mm

Sightings: Sunshine Coast

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We have changed the name of this species from Pleurobranchus caledonicus, the original combination, to fall in line with the overwhelming use of Berthella caledonica and some other Berthella combinations.

Bob Bolland, 2002, (Okinawa Sea Slugs) used Berthella cf.africana. This is a very similar species (by external appearances) described in 1953 from the Atlantic.

Rudman, 2009, questions the use of Pleurobranchus for this species and states it: “….is most likely to be a species of Berthella.” based on some external features and the radula.

Goodheart et al, 2015, Table 6., proposes Berthella for this species.

Gosliner et al, 2018 do not list either, but do have an image that matches, called Berthella sp. 1. This may indicate uncertainty but nevertheless uses the Berthella genus.

WoRMS, 2024, uses Berthella caledonica with Carlson & Hoff, 2003 as “Basis of Record”.

Scott Johnson, underwaterkwaj. com – Marshall Islands Sea Slugs, uses Berthella caledonica
Cory Pitman & Pauline Fiene – seaslugsofhawaii.com use Berthella sp. 1.
iNaturalist uses Berthella caledonica, with some reliable confirmation

David A. Mullins – February 2024 (Change effected – February 2024)

References:
– Bolland, B., 2002 (Oct 22) Okinawa Berthella cf. africana. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/8024

– Carlson, C. & Hoff, P. J. (2003). The opisthobranchs of the Mariana Islands. Micronesica. 35-36:271-293 

– Rudman, W. B., (January 2009) Pleurobranchus caledonicus Risbec, 1928. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet/pleucale and associated messages

– Goodheart, J., Camacho-García, Y., Padula, V., Schrodl, M., Cervera, J. L., Gosliner, T. M. & Valdes, A. (2015). Systematics and bio- geography of Pleurobranchus Cuvier, 1804, sea slugs (Heterobranchia: Nudipleura: Pleurobranchidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 2015;174:322–62.

– Gosliner, T. M., Valde ́s, A ́. & Behrens, D. W. (2018). Nudibranch & Sea Slug Identification – Indo-Pacific, 2nd Edition. New World Publications, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

– MolluscaBase eds. (2024). MolluscaBase (WoRMS). Berthella caledonica (Risbec, 1928). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=872697 on 2024-02-17