''Melibe'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of sea

slugs Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a sma ...

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

s in the family

Tethydidae Tethydidae is a family of dendronotid nudibranch gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Tritonioidea.Picton, B.; Bouchet, P. (2017). Tethydidae Rafinesque, 1815. In: MolluscaBase (2017). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http ...

. Most nudibranchs are carnivores, but their prey is usually sessile or slow-moving animals such as sponges or bryozoans. In contrast, ''Melibe'' is an active predator which traps fast-moving free-swimming animals such as small crustaceans, using its extendable oral hood

Melibe leonina

Species

Species within the genus ''Melibe'' include 17 valid species: ''

Species inquirenda In biological classification, a ''species inquirenda'' is a species of doubtful identity requiring further investigation. The use of the term in English-language biological literature dates back to at least the early nineteenth century. The term t ...

'': * ''

Melibe capucina ''Melibe'' is a genus of sea slugs, nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Tethydidae. Most nudibranchs are carnivores, but their prey is usually sessile or slow-moving animals such as sponges or bryozoans. In contrast, ''Melibe ...

'' Bergh, 1875 * ''

Melibe lonchocera ''Melibe'' is a genus of sea slugs, 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 ...

'' (E. von Martens, 1879) * ''

Melibe ocellata ''Melibe'' is a genus of sea slugs, nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Tethydidae. Most nudibranchs are carnivores, but their prey is usually sessile or slow-moving animals such as sponges or bryozoans. In contrast, ''Melibe ...

'' Bergh, 1888

References

External links

iNaturalist
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3854211 Tethydidae Gastropod genera

Species

References

Further reading

External links