First record of <i>Elysia</i> cf. <i>leucolegnote</i> Jensen, 1990 in the Indian mainland mangrove habitats of Karnataka

Abstract The current study records a new distributional range for Elysia cf. leucolegnote Jensen, 1990, which was previously reported only from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India. The collection was carried out in the mangroves of Kali Estuary situated in Karnataka (14°50ʹ55.27″N, 74° 9ʹ44.04″E &amp; 14°50ʹ16.36″N, 74°10ʹ8.81″E), southwest coast of India. Prior studies had documented the distribution of this species in the tropical West Pacific and East Indian Oceans; this study reports the first record of E. cf. leucolegnote in the Northwestern Indian Ocean, expanding its documentation of a wider distribution range. The species was first discovered in Hong Kong and described in 1990. It was identified by its distinctive morphological characteristics, which featured black eyes situated proximally at the base of the rhinophores and a flattened, generally green body with a distinct white border line along the rhinophores and parapodia.