Stylocheilus

Species in the genus Stylocheilus include:

• Stylocheilus longicauda Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 - Blue-ring Sea Hare, Lemon Sea Hare (used to be called Stylocheilus citrina)
  • Distribution : circumtropical, Indo-West Pacific.
  • Color : bright yellow or green with bluish eyespots, no lines.
  • Description : This is one of the most specialized sea hares; elongate body with a long "tail" (as stated by its name longicauda), adapted for living on floating seaweed; feeds on Mermaid's Hair, blue-green algae of species Lynghya majuscula; at times, they are abundant, with several thousands crawling in the sand, traveling in chains ("snail trail") up to 10 m long
• Stylocheilus striatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1832
  • Distribution : circumtropical; intertidal, occurs up to 30 m depth
  • Length : 65 mm
  • Color : brownish, with blue spots; lined species, with dark longitudinal lines (as stated by its name striatus) and small eyespots, providing excellent camouflage.
  • Description : Feeds on blue-green algae; gives off a purple ink when disturbed.

Taxon inquirendum

• Stylocheilus quercinus Gould, 1852

Species brought into synonymy

• Stylocheilus citrinus (Rang, 1828) is a synonym of Stylocheilus longicauda (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)
• Stylocheilus lineolatus Gould, 1852: synonym of Stylocheilus longicauda (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)

• Rolán E., 2005. Malacological Fauna From The Cape Verde Archipelago. Part 1, Polyplacophora and Gastropoda

• Gould A. (1852). Mollusca and Shells [in]: United States Exploring Expeditions, 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 under the command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N.. Philadelphia, C. Sherman & son : vol. 12, xv + 510 pp
• SEM images of the radula can be found at Thompson, T.E.; Bebbington, A. (1973). "Scanning electron microscope studies of gastropod radulae". Malacologia. 14: 147–165.
• Image of the Blue-ring Sea Hare
• 'Snail trail' of the Blue-ring Sea Hare
• Image of Stylocheilus striatus

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