Divers find "hidden" sea slug species
In the second half of June 2014 sport divers encountered a new species of sea slug in the Oosterschelde.
The Aeolidiella Sanguinea is the 58th Dutch sea slug species and was given the Dutch name "Verborgen vlokslak". The Dutch name comes from the fact that the slug is only active at night. During the day the slug hides under stones and larger shells, making it difficult for divers to observe it.
The most striking features of this slug are the papillae on the back that are placed in recognizable ridges that continue to the front in a cluster of increasingly smaller papillae. All the protrusions on the head and the papillae have white pigment spots on the end.
The Verborge Vlokslak bears resemblance to two other Aeolidiella species that are also found in the Dutch coastal waters: Aeolidiella Glauca (Kleine Vlokslak) and Aeolidiella Alderi (Gekraagde Vlokslak).