Thecacera sp.

Mehrotra, Rahul, A. Caballer Gutierrez, Manuel, M. Scott, Chad, Arnold, Spencer, Monchanin, Coline, Viyakarn, Voranop & Chavanich, Suchana, 2021, An updated inventory of sea slugs from Koh Tao, Thailand, with notes on their ecology and a dramatic biodiversity increase for Thai waters, ZooKeys 1042, pp. 73-188 : 73

Thecacera sp. Figure 16J

Material examined.

Two specimens 6-16 mm, SB; one specimen 12 mm, KKR.

Ecology.

Exclusively recorded from soft sediment habitats beyond the fringing coral reef where it feeds on Bugulidae spp. arborescent bryozoans. Depth 12-25 m.

Distribution.

Similar species are known from Mozambique ( Tibiriçá et al. 2017), Maldives ( Yonow 1994), Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan ( Gosliner et al. 2008).

Remarks.

While similar to Thecacera cf. picta Baba, 1972 from Mozambique ( Tibiriçá et al. 2017) our preliminary investigations indicate that this species is distinct from both Thecacera picta Baba, 1972, Thecacera vittata Yonow, 1994, and the supposedly pan-tropical/sub-tropical species Thecacera pennigera (Montagu, 1813) which was incorrectly documented from Koh Tao by Mehrotra and Scott (2016). This species is also distinct from Thecacera pennigera previously recorded from both Andaman and Gulf waters of Thailand by Chavanich et al. (2013).

Figures

Figure 16. A Gymnodoris sp. 3 12 mm B Gymnodoris nigricolor 5 mm C Gymnodoris cf. nigricolor 6 mm D Gymnodoris sp. 4 9 mm E Plocamopherus tilesii 90 mm F Polycera sp. 12 mm G Tambja amakusana 6 mm (photograph by Richard Brinke) H Tambja pulcherrima 40 mm (photograph by Liam Kelly) I Tambja sp. 4 mm (photo by Kaitlyn Harris) J Thecacera sp. 6 mm K Anteaeolidiella sp. 15 mm L Aeolidiopsis harrietae 17 mm.