The Cliopsidae, common name sea angels, are a taxonomic

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of small, free-swimming

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 time ...

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or w ...

marine opisthobranch 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 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

s in the order Opisthobranchia. As is the case in all gymnosome pteropods, these

sea angel Sea angels ( clade Gymnosomata) are a large group of small free-swimming sea slugs, not to be confused with Cnidarians (Jellyfish and other similar creatures), classified into six different families. They are pelagic opisthobranchs in the cla ...

s lack a shell except during an early embryonic stage. The small lateral wing-like flaps (parapoda) are used in a slow swimming mode. The foot is reduced to three small median lobes.

Genera and species

Genera and species within the family Cliopsidae include: Genus ''

Cliopsis ''Cliopsis'' Troschel, 1854 is a genus of sea angels belonging to the family Cliopsidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species ''Cliopsis krohnii''. Taxonomy The Marine Species Identification Portal recognizes three morphs : ...

'' Troschel, 1854 * ''

Cliopsis krohnii ''Cliopsis'' Troschel, 1854 is a genus of sea angels belonging to the family Cliopsidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species ''Cliopsis krohnii''. Taxonomy The Marine Species Identification Portal recognizes three morphs : ...

'' Troschel, 1854 Troschel, Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Pteropoden, Archiv f. Naturgesch., Jáhrg. xx. p. 222, p1. x. figs. 2-4. Genus ''Pruvotella'' * ''

Pruvotella danae The Cliopsidae, common name sea angels, are a taxonomic family of small, free-swimming sea slugs, pelagic marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the order Opisthobranchia. As is the case in all gymnosome pteropods, these sea angels ...

'' Pruvot-Fol, 1942 ** Distribution :

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, Oceanic ** Length : 10 mm

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5134334