''Coryphellina rubrolineata'' 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 t ...
, an
aeolid nudibranch, 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
* ...
heterobranch 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
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Flabellinidae
Flabellinidae is a taxonomic family of brightly coloured sea slugs, specifically nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks.
This family has no subfamilies.
Genera and species
Genera within the family Flabellinidae include:Bouchet, P. (2011)Flabell ...
.
[Gofas, S. (2015)]
''Flabellina rubrolineata'' (O'Donoghue, 1929).
In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-25
Description
''Coryphellina rubrolineata'' is a relatively large
aeolid nudibranch growing to 42 mm in length.
[Bidgrain, P. 2015]
''Flabellina rubrolineata'' (O'Donoghue, 1929).
At seaslugs.free.fr, retrieved 2015-11-07. The stretched out body has a sharp end at the tail, the dorsal side is covered with a certain amount of extensions called
cerata, which size vary from an animal to another. The
rhinophores are pointed and look like feathers. The oral tentacles are thin, cylindrical and longer than the
rhinophores.
The coloration is variable and here's a description for the two main coloration which can be easily met underwater:
*The classic coloration: the body is milky white to translucent, three reddish to purple continuous or dotted lines are running on both side and in the middle of the body, oral tentacles and
rhinophores are whitish with a mauve to purple ring at two-thirds of their extremity,
cerata are also whitish with a purple ring and with orange tip.
* The purple coloration: whole body including
cerata,
rhinophores and oral tentacles are purple to mauve, without any continuous reddish line on the body but with just a darker ring at two-thirds of the
cerata with clearest tips.
Many colour variations exist and it is likely that this species is really a
species complex.
[Rudman, W.B., 1998 (January 9]
''Flabellina rubrolineata'' (O'Donoghue, 1929).
n/nowiki> Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
Distribution & habitat
This species was described from the
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...
. ''Coryphellina rubrolineata'' is thought to be widespread in tropical, subtropical and temperate waters in the
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth.
In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...
area and also as a migrant
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 ...
in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
.
[Gosliner, T. M., & Richard C. Willan. 1991]
Review of the Flabellinidae (Nudibranchia: Aeolidacea) from the tropical Indo-Pacific, with the descriptions of five new species.
Veliger 34(2):97-133
page 114
/ref> It is also commonly observed on shallow reef or rocky slopes rich in hydroids which represent its main diet.[Le Bris, S., Sutour, J.-M., in: DORIS, 29/3/2014]
''Flabellina rubrolineata'' (O'Donoghue, 1929).
/ref>
Biology
Like mainly all aeolids, ''Coryphellina rubrolineata'' has the ability to store the stinging cells from cnidarians eaten. This stinging cells stock is a particularly effective means of defense and is located at the ends of cerata, it is contained in cnidosac
A cnidosac is an anatomical feature that is found in the group of sea slugs known as aeolid nudibranchs, a clade of marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs. A cnidosac contains cnidocytes, stinging cells that are also known as cnidoblasts or nemato ...
s.[
]
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar , from=Q1830967
Flabellinidae
Gastropods described in 1929