''Phyllodesmium hyalinum'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...

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 ...

, 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 mat ...

, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Myrrhinidae.Bouchet, P. (2015)
''Phyllodesmium hyalinum''.
In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-06 ''Phyllodesmium hyalinum'' is the type species of the genus ''Phyllodesmium''.Rudman W.B. (1991) ''Further studies on the taxonomy and biology of the octocoral-feeding genus ''Phyllodesmium'' Ehrenberg, 1831 (Nudibranchia: Aeolidoidea).'' Journal of Molluscan Studies 57: 167-203.Burghardt I. & Wägele H. (2004). "A new solar powered species of the genus ''Phyllodesmium'' Ehrenberg, 1831 (Mollusca: Nudibranchia: Aeolidoidea) from Indonesia with analysis of its photosynthetic activity and notes on biology". ''

Zootaxa ''Zootaxa'' is a peer-reviewed scientific mega journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view ...

'' 596: 1-18
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Distribution

This species was described from the Red Sea. The distribution of ''Phyllodesmium hyalinum'' includes Tanzania, Australia, Japan, Philippines and the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...

.Rudman, W.B., 1998 (October 15
''Phyllodesmium hyalinum'' Ehrenbergh, 1831.
n/nowiki> Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.

Description

The length of this sea slug is up to 45 mm. It is a pale pink-blue, mottled species, with loosely spaced

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 mollus ...

. This species contains

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 '' ...

Ecology

The habitat of ''Phyllodesmium hyalinum'' is among shallow coral reefs with ''Xenia''

octocorals Octocorallia (also known as Alcyonaria) is a class of Anthozoa comprising around 3,000 species of water-based organisms formed of colonial polyps with 8-fold symmetry. It includes the blue coral, soft corals, sea pens, and gorgonians (sea fan ...

. It feeds on '' Xenia'', ''

Xenia umbellata Xenia may refer to: People * Xenia (name), a feminine given name; includes a list of people with this name Places United States ''listed alphabetically by state'' * Xenia, Illinois, a village in Clay County ** Xenia Township, Clay County, Ill ...

'' and '' Heteroxenia fuscescens''. This species is more frequently recorded as an incidental to research carried out on its prey species, the

alcyonarian Octocorallia (also known as Alcyonaria) is a class of Anthozoa comprising around 3,000 species of water-based organisms formed of colonial polyps with 8-fold symmetry. It includes the blue coral, soft corals, sea pens, and gorgonians (sea fans ...

s ''Xenia'' and ''Heteroxenia''. It is camouflaged by the similarity of its cerata to the tentacles of these corals and hides in burrows made in the fleshy base of the ''Xenia''.

References

* Richmond, M. (Ed.) (1997). ''A guide to the seashores of Eastern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean islands.'' Sida/Department for Research Cooperation, SAREC: Stockholm, Sweden. . 448 pp {{Taxonbar, from=Q7188800 Myrrhinidae Gastropods described in 1831 Taxa named by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg Molluscs of the Pacific Ocean