Paraflabellina ischitana

Appearance

This species can grow to a length of approximately 4 cm and is mostly purple-violet in colour. It has opaque white-tipped certa, rhinophores, and oral tentacles. The rhinophores are annulate. Due to the somewhat transparent skin of the ceras, the branches of the digestive gland are visible, and appear as red-orange.

Naming

The name "ischitana" means from Ischia, the island from where this nudibranch was first named."Paraflabellina ischitana" is often confused with "Flabellina affinis", but can be distinguished as follows:

⤷ "Paraflabellina ischitana": the ceratal surface has no purple-violet colouration and is translucent;
⤷ "Flabellina affinis": the digestive gland is not visible as the area beneath the subapical white ring is opaque;

"Paraflabellina ischitana" is also similar to "Edmundsella pedata", but they can be distinguished on the basis of their rhinophores:

⤷ "Paraflabellina ischitana" has annulate rhinophore
⤷ "Edmundsella pedata" has smooth or papillate rhinophores

Distribution

This species is found in Mediterranean waters around Spain in such locations as Costa Brava, and in the Tyrrhenian Sea, especially around Ischia.

Behavior

This nudibranch likely eats hydroids of the genus "Eudendrium" as its main food source.

Like other nudibranchs, this species is hermaphrodite. Mating occurs in late spring. The egg case is whitish or reddish, with thousands of eggs of about 70 microns. The nudibranch places the egg case on the branches of hydrozoa.

Habitat

"Paraflabellina ischitana" usually can be found in shallow water, but it can also reach depths of 35 m.