''Pacifia goddardi'' 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 time ...
, 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 match, ...
, a
marine gastropod mollusc in the family
Unidentiidae. This species was recently discovered by Jeff Goddard, and named by his friend, Terry Gosliner. It was found while searching for another species in
Carpinteria State Beach in Santa Barbara, California.
Description
The body is translucent white, with mature specimens being approximately 33 mm long. It has smooth rhinophores, with orange-tipped, subapical red bands on the
cerata
:''The tortrix moth genus ''Cerata'' is considered a junior synonym of ''Cydia.
Cerata, singular ceras, are anatomical structures found externally in nudibranch sea slugs, especially in aeolid nudibranchs, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks ...
.
It produces eggs in a long, convoluted ribbon, which hatch into planktotrophic veliger larvae.
Distribution
''Pacifia goddardi'' was described from the intertidal zone of
Carpinteria State Beach,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
It has also been found at 9 m depth in Las Flores Canyon, off Malibu, at 18 m depth on the south side of West Anacapa Island and at 9 m depth off Point Dume, Malibu, California.
[Goddard, J.H.R. & C. Hoover. 2016. ''Distribution, seasonality, and prey specificity of ''Flabellina goddardi'' Gosliner, 2010 (Gastropoda: Nudipleura: Aeolidina).'' The Nautilus 130(4): 146-152]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1387559
Unidentiidae
Gastropods described in 2010