Neptunazurea
| Neptunazurea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Neptunazurea kempfi | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Nudibranchia |
| Family: | Chromodorididae |
| Genus: | Neptunazurea Ribeiro, García-Méndez, Valdés, Schrödl & Padula, 2025[1] |
| Type species | |
| Neptunazurea kempfi Ev. Marcus, 1971 | |
Neptunazurea is a genus of sea slugs, dorid nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod mollusks in the in family Chromodorididae[2].
Taxonomic history
[edit]Neptunazurea was established after analysis of several small blue species previously placed in Felimare. There had never been a clear set of diagnostics for Felimare, as the genus was re-established as a result of molecular phylogenetic analysis only; morphological features were not taken into account. The species then included in Felimare (placed previously in Hypselodoris and Mexichromis) shared neither external and internal anatomies nor reproductive morphologies[1].
In Ribeiro et al. (2025)[1], a study was done re-investigating Felimare with special focus on the blue, smaller species of the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Both molecular and morphological analyses performed, and a distinct, consistent set of diagnostic material was able to be established. Thus, Neptunazurea was proposed as a new genus within Chromodorididae.
Species
[edit]Species within Neptunazurea include[2]:
- Neptunazurea francoisae Bouchet, 1981
- Neptunazurea garciagomezi Ortea & Á. Valdés, 1996
- Neptunazurea kempfi Ev. Marcus, 1971
- Neptunazurea molloi Ortea & Á. Valdés, 1996
- Neptunazurea paulomirpuri Ortea & Moro, 2018
- Neptunazurea porterae T. D. A. Cockerell, 1901
- Neptunazurea sisalensis Ortigosa & Á. Valdés, 2012
Description
[edit]Neptunazurea are small chromodorids that can grow up to 30mm long. Their bodies are elongate and narrow, with sides of foot generally not visible on account of a smooth mantle. All species have a mantle that is blue or white, with a white or pale blue "single central longitudinal line". The mantle is edged with a single narrow band that can be yellow, orange, or white. The rhinophores are blue and lamellate. The gills are small, with blue rachis and blue or translucent white leaves[1].
The oral tube is three times as long as the buccal bulb. There are "mole-paw shaped jaw rodlets", and the radula are very in comparison to body length. There is a short, undifferentiated prostate, a large vagine, and a short, wide uterine duct[1].
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Ribeiro, A.; García-Méndez, K.; Valdés, Á.; Schrödl, M.; Padula, V. (2025). Description of a new genus of Chromodorididae with a taxonomic review of Neptunazurea kempfi (Ev. Marcus, 1971) comb. nov. (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Nudibranchia). Zootaxa. 5716(3): 333-348.
- 1 2 .MolluscaBase eds. (2026). MolluscaBase. Neptunazurea Ribeiro, García-Méndez, Valdés, Schrödl & Padula, 2025. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2026-04-22
