The predaceous aeolis (''Himatina trophina'') 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 time ...
, an 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 match, ...
, a
marine heterobranch
Heterobranchia, the ''heterobranchs'' (meaning "different-gilled snails"), is a taxonomic clade of snails and slugs, which includes marine, aquatic and terrestrial gastropod mollusks.
Heterobranchia is one of the main clades of gastropods. Cur ...
mollusc in the 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 ...
.
[Picton, B. (2017)]
''Himatina trophina'' (Bergh, 1890).
In: MolluscaBase (2017). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2018-01-14. This species was commonly known as ''Flabellina fusca'', a junior synonym.
Retrieved July 04, 2012
Distribution
This species is frequent in
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
and extends around the North Pacific to
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
and the
Sea of Okhotsk,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
.
[
]
Diet
''Himatina trophina'' mainly feeds on hydroids
Hydroids are a life stage for most animals of the class Hydrozoa, small predators related to jellyfish.
Some hydroids such as the freshwater '' Hydra'' are solitary, with the polyp attached directly to the substrate. When these produce buds ...
, it was also once believed to feed on tube worms but the species actually just preferred the hydroids which were growing on the outside of the tube worm.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 match, ...
s, crustacea and polychaete worm
Polychaeta () is a paraphyletic class of generally marine annelid worms, commonly called bristle worms or polychaetes (). Each body segment has a pair of fleshy protrusions called parapodia that bear many bristles, called chaetae, which are made ...
s.[Rudman, W.B., 2003 (April 16]
''Flabellina trophina'' (Bergh, 1894).
n/nowiki> Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.[Behrens, D.W. (2005)]
''Flabellina trophina''.
At: Miller, M. D. (2005). The Slug Site. Retrieved July 04, 2012
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2202771
Flabellinidae
Gastropods described in 1890