''Cerberilla ambonensis'' 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, 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
* ...
heterobranch 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 ...
.
[Bouchet, P. (2015)]
''Cerberilla ambonensis''.
In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-11-09
Distribution
This species was described from
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of two territories: the city of Ambon, Maluku, Ambon to the south and various districts ('' ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
.
[Rudman, W.B., 1999 (November 29]
''Cerberilla ambonensis'' Bergh, 1905.
n/nowiki> Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
Description
All ''Cerberilla'' species have a broad foot and the cerata are numerous, arranged in transverse rows across the body. In this species the edge of the foot has distinctive black or dark brown stripes at right angles to the margin. The cerata are brown with a yellow or orange band on the dorsal surface and the foot is translucent white. The long oral tentacles have a pale yellow band near the translucent base, then a bright blue band which changes to black and then to pale yellow and finally to a black tip.
This is slightly different to Bergh's illustration which shows dark grey oral tentacles with yellow tips.
[
]
Ecology
Species of ''Cerberilla'' live on and in sandy substrates where they burrow beneath the surface and feed on burrowing sea anemones.
References
* Cobb, G. & Willan, R.C. 2005. ''New records of nudibranchs (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia) for Australia and for southern Queensland.'' Vita Malacologica 3: 61-68
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13459855
Aeolidiidae
Gastropods described in 1905