The Aeolidida is a

taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

sea slug Sea slug is a common name for some marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs. Most creatures known as sea slugs are gastropods, i.e. they are sea snails (marine gastropod mollusks) that over evolutionary t ...

s, specifically aeolid

nudibranch Nudibranchs () are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames to matc ...

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is esti ...

s in the clade

Cladobranchia The Cladobranchia are a taxonomic clade of nudibranchs, sea slugs, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Dexiarchia. Taxonomy clade Metarminida * Superfamily Metarminoidea This name is not available as a Superfamily name as it is not based on ...

. They are distinguished from other

s by their possession of

cerata :''The tortrix moth genus ''Cerata'' is considered a junior synonym of ''Cydia. Cerata, singular ceras, are anatomical structures found externally in nudibranch sea slugs, especially in aeolid nudibranchs, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks ...

containing

cnidosac A cnidosac is an anatomical feature that is found in the group of sea slugs known as aeolid nudibranchs, a clade of marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs. A cnidosac contains cnidocytes, stinging cells that are also known as cnidoblasts or n ...

Taxonomy

*Superfamily

Flabellinoidea Fionoidea is a superfamily of small sea slugs, aeolid nudibranchs. They are gastropod mollusks within the infraorder Cladobranchia. The families within Fionoidea were shown to be monophyletic on DNA evidence and a re-interpretation of family ch ...

(= Pleuroprocta) Bergh, 1889 **Family

Apataidae Apataidae is a taxonomic family of brightly coloured sea slugs, specifically nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as mol ...

Korshunova, Martynov, Bakken, Evertsen, Fletcher, Mudianta, Saito, Lundin, Schrödl & Picton, 2017 **Family Coryphellidae Bergh, 1889 **Family

Cumanotidae ''Cumanotus'' is a genus of sea slugs, aeolid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85 ...

Odhner, 1907 **Family

Flabellinidae Flabellinidae is a taxonomic family of brightly coloured sea slugs, specifically nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known a ...

Bergh, 1889 **Family

Flabellinopsidae Flabellinopsidae is a taxonomic family of brightly coloured sea slugs, specifically nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are know ...

Korshunova, Martynov, Bakken, Evertsen, Fletcher, Mudianta, Saito, Lundin, Schrödl & Picton, 2017 **Family

Notaeolidiidae Notaeolidiidae is a taxonomic family of sea slugs, specifically aeolid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusc Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs ...

Eliot, 1910 **Family

Paracoryphellidae Paracoryphellidae is a Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic family (biology), family of brightly coloured sea slugs, specifically nudibranchs, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks. Genera and species Genera within the family Paracoryphellidae incl ...

M. C. Miller, 1971 **Family

Samlidae Samlidae is a taxonomic family of brightly coloured sea slugs, specifically nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks. Genera and species Genera within the family Samlidae include:Picton, B. (2017)Samlidae Korshunova, Martynov, Bakken, Evertsen, Fl ...

Korshunova, Martynov, Bakken, Evertsen, Fletcher, Mudianta, Saito, Lundin, Schrödl & Picton, 2017 *Superfamily

Fionoidea Fionoidea is a superfamily of small sea slugs, aeolid nudibranchs. They are gastropod mollusks within the infraorder Cladobranchia. The families within Fionoidea were shown to be monophyletic on DNA evidence and a re-interpretation of family char ...

(= Acleioprocta) Gray, 1857Korshunova, T.; Martynov, A.; Picton, B. (2017)
Ontogeny as an important part of integrative taxonomy in tergipedid aeolidaceans (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) with a description of a new genus and species from the Barents Sea.
Zootaxa. 4324(1): 1. **Family

Calmidae Calmidae is a taxonomic family of sea slugs with only one genus and two species. These are specifically aeolid nudibranchs. They are marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Fionoidea. This family has no subfamilies. Taxonomic history ...

Iredale & O'Donoghue, 1923 **Family

Cuthonellidae Cuthonellidae is a family of sea slugs, aeolid nudibranch Nudibranchs () are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking ...

Miller, 1971 **Family Cuthonidae Odhner, 1934 **Family

Eubranchidae Eubranchidae is a taxonomic family of sea slugs, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Aeolidioidea, the aeolid nudibranch Nudibranchs () are a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval ...

Odhner, 1934 **Family

Fionidae Fionidae is a family of sea slugs, aeolid nudibranchs, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Fionoidea. Taxonomic history This family was expanded to include Tergipedidae, Eubranchidae and Calmidae as a result of a molecular phylogenet ...

Gray, 1857 **Family Pseudovermidae Thiele, 1931 **Family Tergipedidae Bergh, 1889 **Family Trinchesiidae F. Nordsieck, 1972 *Superfamily

Aeolidioidea Aeolidioidea is a superfamily of sea slugs, the aeolid nudibranchs. They are marine gastropod molluscs in the suborder Cladobranchia. Taxonomy As of 2019, the superfamily Aeolidioidea consisted of the following families: * Aeolidiidae Gray, ...

(= Cleioprocta) Gray, 1827 **Family

Aeolidiidae Aeolidiidae, a family of aeolid nudibranchs, are a family of sea slugs, shell-less marine gastropod molluscs.Bouchet, P. (2014)''Aeolidiidae'' Gray, 1827.Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2014-10-24 Most, or perhaps all, mem ...

Gray, 1827 **Family

Facelinidae The Facelinidae are a Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic family (biology), family of colorful sea slugs. These are specifically aeolid nudibranchs. They are marine (ocean), marine gastropod molluscs.Bouchet, P. (2012). Facelinidae. Accessed through: W ...

Bergh, 1889 **Family Glaucidae Gray, 1827 **Family Piseinotecidae Edmunds, 1970 **Family

Pleurolidiidae Pleurolidiidae is a family of nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod molluscs or sea slugs, within the superfamily Aeolidioidea. Genera and species Genera and species within the family Pleurolidiidae include:Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2015)Pleu ...

Burn, 1966 **Family Unidentiidae Millen & Hermosillo, 2012

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1391863 Nudipleura