''Baeolidia lunaris'' is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
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 ...
, an
aeolid nudibranch. It is a
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 ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
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 ...
found in
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
.
[Gofas, S. (2014)]
''Baeolidia lunaris'' Carmona, Pola, Gosliner & Cervera, 2014.
Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-02-25.
Distribution
This species was described from a specimen found in shallow water feeding on Zoanthids at Mana Huanja Island, Mtwara Region, Tanzania.[
]
Description
''Baeolidia lunaris'' has a translucent brownish body covered with fine iridescent opaque white spots. The rhinophores are approximately equal in length to the oral tentacles and are densely covered by elongate papillae. The rhinophores are translucent brown with small white spots and white tips. The oral tentacles are short and slender, tapering near apices, also translucent brown in colour. The cerata are moderately long, flattened and leaf-like and curved inwardly. They are the same colour as the body, but a little bit darker. There is a crescent-shaped white spot on anterior side of cerata, close to the base.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q20685984
Aeolidiidae
Gastropods described in 2014