New observations on two umbraculid molluscs: Tylodina perversa (Umbraculida: Tylodinidae) and Umbraculum umbraculum (Umbraculida, Umbraculidae) along the central‑eastern coast of Sicily

By

Lombardo, Andrea
Marletta, Giuliana

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022-12-31

Original Publication

Travaux du Muséum national d'histoire naturelle "Grigore Antipa"

Volume

65

Series / Issue

Issue: 2

Pages

15--25

Subjects

Gastropoda , Marine heterobranchs , Mollusca , Opisthobranchia , Sicily , Umbraculida

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

București, România Muzeul Național de Istorie Naturală "Grigore Antipa" -2009

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/travaux.65.e91185

 

Abstract

The present note aims to provide detailed information on the biology and ecology of two marine heterobranch species belonging to the order Umbraculida: Umbraculum umbraculum and Tylodina perversa. The observations were carried out through scuba dives from 2017 to May 2022 in 5 sites located along the central-eastern coast of Sicily. For each species, information on the morphology, abundance, bathymetric range, substrates and habitats, seasonality, and further remarks were here provided. Through this research, it was noted that along the central-eastern coast of Sicily, T. perversa has never been found on sponges of the genus Aplysina, its prey so far documented, but always on algal substrates. Regarding U. umbraculum, it was observed that it counts among the sponges of its diet also the poriferan C. crambe. Moreover, through this study, it was documented for the first time the breeding activity of U. umbraculum, never reported in detail.