Higher Classification: > Kingdom Animalia > Subkingdom Eumetazoa > Phylum Mollusca > Class Gastropoda > Subclass Orthogastropoda > Subclass Heterobranchia > Infraclass Euthyneura > Subterclass Ringipleura > Superorder Nudipleura > Order Nudibranchia > Suborder Cladobranchia > Superfamily Aeolidioidea > Family Glaucidae > Genus Glaucus

Glaucus atlanticus Forster, 1777

Rank: Species
Taxon Status: accepted

Relationships towards this taxon

Genus group names

*Glaucus*	Forster, 1777	accepted genus name

Species group names

*Doris radiata*	Gmelin, 1791	synonym
*Glaucus distichoicus*	A. d'Orbigny, 1836	synonym
*Glaucus flagellum*	Blumenbach, 1803	synonym
*Glaucus hexapterigius*	Cuvier, 1805	synonym
*Glaucus longicirrhus*	Reinhardt & Bergh, 1861	synonym; nom. nud.

Vernaculars (+) (-)

English: Atlantic Sea Swallow; purple ocean slug; sea swallow sources: Gosliner, T. et al. (2023). Southern African Sea Slugs. Southern Underwater Research Group Press, 7 Blackwood Drive, Hout Bay 7806, Cape Town, South Africa.;Bermuda Biodiversity Database;Branch, G. M. (2002). Two Oceans. 5th impression. David Philip, Cate Town & Johannesburg.

Japanese: アオミノウミウシ

Literature

original description	Forster G. 1777. A voyage round the world in His Britannic Majesty's Sloop, Resolution, commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the years 1772, 3, 4 and 5. London, B. White, J. Robson, P. Elmsly and and G. Robinson. Vol. 1, pp. i-xviii, 1-602; vol. 2, pp. 1-607.
additional source	Spencer, H.G., Marshall, B.A. & Willan, R.C. (2009). Checklist of New Zealand living Mollusca. Pp 196-219. in: Gordon, D.P. (ed.) New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume one. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.
additional source	Gosliner, T. M. (1980 ["1979"]). The systematics of the Aeolidiacea (Nudibranchia: Mollusca) of the Hawaiian Islands, with descriptions of two new species. Pacific Science. 33(1): 37-77.
additional source	Rosenberg, G.; Moretzsohn, F.; García, E. F. (2009). Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 579–699 in: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas.
additional source	Gosliner, T. et al. (2023). Southern African Sea Slugs. Southern Underwater Research Group Press, 7 Blackwood Drive, Hout Bay 7806, Cape Town, South Africa.
additional source	Branch, G. M. (2002). Two Oceans. 5th impression. David Philip, Cate Town & Johannesburg.
additional source	Gosliner, T. (1987). Nudibranchs of Southern Africa: A Guide to Opisthobranch Molluscs of Southern Africa. Sea Challengers, Monterey, California.
redescription	Valdés A. & Campillo O.A. (2004) Systematics of pelagic aeolid nudibranchs of the family Glaucidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Bulletin of Marine Science 75(3): 381–389.
status source	Churchill C.K.C., Alejandrino, A. Valdés, Á. & Ó Foighil, D. (2013). Parallel changes in genital morphology delineate cryptic diversification of plamktonik nudibranchs. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 280: 20131224

Genbank

Citation

MolluscaBase eds. (2025). MolluscaBase. Glaucus atlanticus Forster, 1777. Via: Costello, M.J.; Bouchet, P.; Boxshall, G.; Arvantidis, C.; Appeltans, W. (2011) European Register of Marine Species, Accessed through PESI at http://www.eu-nomen.eu/portal/taxon.php?GUID=urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:140022