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Additional Photos
little white
young, 3 mm
shell
egg mass
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GALLERY
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Berthella stellata (Risso, 1826)
Maximum size: 20 mm (Kay,
1979).
Identification:
This is a translucent cream species finely reticulated with pale white
and with a variable amount of opaque white
spotting on the notum.
Natural history:
Berthella stellata
is a moderately rare nocturnal pleurobranchid found in protected to
moderately
exposed rocky habitats. It occurs in the low intertidal, in tide pools
and subtidally to depths of 9 m (30 ft). It lays a white
collar-shaped egg mass that hatches in about seven days in the
laboratory.
Distribution:
Big Island, Maui, Oahu and Midway: circumtropical
Taxonomic notes:
This
is
the species listed as Berthella pellucida
(Pease, 1860) in Kay, 1979. It was first reported from Hawaii in Pease,
1860 (as Pleurobranchus pellucidus).
Photo: CP: 7
mm: Hekili Point, Maui; Nov. 23, 2006.
Observations and comments:
Note
1: ( )
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