''Onchidella nigricans'' 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 small, air-breathing

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 ...

, a shell-less marine pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the

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 ...

Onchidiidae Onchidiidae are a family of small, air-breathing sea (and land) slugs. They are shell-less marine (except for 2 species)preview pulmonate gastropod molluscs. Onchidiidae is the only family within the superfamily Onchidioidea. These animals are ...

Distribution

This species occurs in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, as well as on the coast of south-eastern Australia, where it is common. Powell A. W. B., ''New Zealand Mollusca'', William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979

Feeding

''O. nigricans'' is a general herbivore feeding on algae. It also consumes

zooplankton Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...

Habitat

This species can be found in the intertidal zone on a variety of habitats.

Distribution

Feeding

Habitat

References

Further reading