Spongiobranchaea australis

d'Orbigny, 1836

Body semi-transparent, long, oval, with numerous dark brown or violet chromatophores which are lacking on gills, footparts, and wings. Wings oval, narrow at base, pointed distally. Lateral gill more or less surrounds body in middle region; posterior gill circular; both gills simple. Anterior tentacles long. Lateral footlobes attached over entire length. Median footlobe rather long and pointed. Two strong lateral arms, median arm absent. Lateral sucker arms bear 7 to 10 suckers on short peduncles, proximal 3 or 4 relatively small. With dorsal gland patch. Hook sacs small compared to those of Pneumoderma atlanticum and Pneumoderma mediterraneum. Hooks, about 20 in number, rather long. Jaw composed of cusps in two groups on median projection of ventral side of buccal wall. Radula formula: 8-1-8 in last rows, 35 rows; with reddish basal membrane and red median teeth. Median plate developing later than lateral ones, lacking in first transverse rows. Median plate strong, with one central cusp and one or two smaller cusps on each side, near margin. First lateral teeth with additional cusp. Body length 22 mm.

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