| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000)
Fiscal Year 1995: ¥400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000)
Fiscal Year 1994: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
Fiscal Year 1993: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Opisthobranchiate molluscs were collected from various localities of northern part of Japan, especially from Hokkaido, and both external and internal morphology of the specimens were closely examined. All aeolidacean species were able to be identified to the generic level ; in total, five families, eight genera, seventeen species have been recognized. Ten species have been identified as known species, and the other are still on the way of analysis. They are either newly recorded or new species. Flabellina athadona, Flabellina amabilis, Eubranchus horii, Cuthona pupillae, and Sakuraeolis modesta are endemic to Japanese waters. In the result of this project, a discovery of Chlamylla atypica (? and another Chlamylla sp.) from Hokkaido is of special mention. All the species of this genus show circum-polar distribution, and the discovery marks the southernmost record of the species and the genus. Flabellina sp.might be identical with F.parva, and if it is the case this species can also be categorized as a circum-polar species. Another circum-polar species, the well-known Aeolidia papillosa was also found. Eubranchus misakiensis, Hermissenda crassicornis and Catriona columbiana are of Japan-Oregon element. Most of the unknown species were assignable to big genus, Cuthona. In addition to the taxonomic study mentioned above, larval morphology of some species and the role of prey organisms as cues for larval settlement and metamorphosis were studied.
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