About Berghia coerulescens (Laurillard, 1832)
Berghia coerulescens, first described by Laurillard in 1832, can reach a maximum total length of 40 to 70 mm. This species was originally described from the French Mediterranean coast. It is also recorded from multiple locations across the central and western Mediterranean, including the Adriatic Sea. It additionally lives in the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from the coasts of Brittany down to the Canary Islands. The geographic distribution of Berghia coerulescens has long been a topic of controversy. At one point, specimens from four other Berghia species were classified within Berghia coerulescens, considered to represent variation in its coloration: Berghia marcusi and Berghia stephanieae from the western Atlantic, and Berghia verrucicornis and Berghia columbina from the eastern Atlantic. It is currently confirmed that the distribution of Berghia coerulescens is limited only to the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.
