''Polycera faeroensis'' 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 ...

, a

dorid ''Doridacea'' is a taxonomic grouping of dorid nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod mollusks.Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.); Frýda J., Hausdorf B., Ponder W., Valdes A. & Warén A. 2005''Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families ...

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 shell-less

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

Polyceridae The Polyceridae are a taxonomic family of sea slugs, dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks within the superfamily Polyceroidea. Taxonomy The family Polyceridae is classified within the clade Doridacea, itself belonging to the clade Euct ...

Distribution

This nudibranch is described originally from

Faeroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway betwee ...

. In the northeast Atlantic it is a common species in shallow water as far south as

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

.Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C., 2010
''Polycera faeroensis''
n/nowiki> Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland. Polycera-faeroensis

Description

The body of this nudibranch is translucent white with yellow processes and a yellow line along the ridge of the tail. The oral veil has eight or more yellow projections. The

gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

s and

rhinophore A rhinophore is one of a pair of chemosensory club-shaped, rod-shaped or ear-like structures which are the most prominent part of the external head anatomy in sea slugs, marine gastropod opisthobranch mollusks such as the nudibranchs, sea har ...

s are translucent white, tipped with yellow. Alongside the gills the pallial margin is expanded and gives rise to a pair or a series of yellow-tipped projections. Some individuals have yellow spots or lines on the body. The animal may reach 30mm in total length. It is distinguished from '' Polycera quadrilineata'' in having more than six processes on the oral veil and a more squat body shape.Thompson, T.E. 1988. ''Molluscs: Benthic Opisthobranchs.'' Linnean Society of London.

Ecology

''Polycera faeroensis'' feeds on erect

bryozoa Bryozoa (also known as the Polyzoa, Ectoprocta or commonly as moss animals) are a phylum of simple, aquatic invertebrate animals, nearly all living in sedentary colonies. Typically about long, they have a special feeding structure called a l ...

ns ''Bicellariella ciliata'', ''Bugula flabellata'' and family

Crisiidae Crisiidae is a family of bryozoans in the suborder Articulina. References External links * * Crisiidaeat fossilworks Crisiidaeat WoRMS Cyclostomatida Bryozoan families {{bryozoan-stub ...

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q845283 Polyceridae Gastropods described in 1929 Molluscs of the Atlantic Ocean