''Phyllodesmium serratum'' 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 ...

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 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 matc ...

, 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 * ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

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

Facelinidae The Facelinidae are a Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic family (biology), family of colorful sea slugs. These are specifically aeolid nudibranchs. They are marine (ocean), marine gastropod molluscs.Bouchet, P. (2012). Facelinidae. Accessed through: W ...

.Bouchet, P. (2010). ''Phyllodesmium serratum'' (Baba, 1949). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=225502 on 2011-01-08

Distribution

The distribution of ''Phyllodesmium serratum'' includes Australia and Japan.Rudman, W.B., 1999 (January 26
''Phyllodesmium serratum'' (Baba, 1949).
n/nowiki> Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. It has been erroneously synonymised with ''

Phyllodesmium horridum ''Phyllodesmium horridum'', the coral nudibranch, is a species of sea slug, specifically an aeolid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae. Distribution This species is found around the South African coast from ...

'' by some authors but does not occur in Africa.

Description

The length of the slug is usually 10–25 mm, but its length can reach up to 40 mm. Baba K. (1991). "日本産サガミミノウミウシの解剖学的研究 The anatomy of ''Phyllodesmium serratum'' (Baba, 1949) from Japan (Nudibranchia: Facelinidae)". ''Venus'' 50(2): 101-108
abstract
This species contains no

zooxanthellae Zooxanthellae is a colloquial term for single-celled dinoflagellates that are able to live in symbiosis with diverse marine invertebrates including demosponges, corals, jellyfish, and nudibranchs. Most known zooxanthellae are in the genus ''Sy ...

Ecology

''Phyllodesmium serratum'' feeds on the soft corals '' Cornularia'' sp., ''

Clavularia Clavularia is a genus of corals in the family Clavulariidae. They are often referred by the common names star polyps or clove polyps. Species There are 69 accepted species in this genus: * '' Clavularia alba'' (Grieg, 1888) * '' Clavularia arc ...

'' sp., ''

Carijoa ''Carijoa'' is a genus of soft corals in the family Clavulariidae. Species The World Register of Marine Species includes the following species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism ...

'' sp. and '' Steronephthya'' sp.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3642347 Facelinidae Gastropods described in 1949