Ardeadoris angustolutea

Ardeadoris angustolutea
Ardeadoris angustolutea in Guam, head end towards the left
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia

clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Euctenidiacea
clade Doridacea

Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Ardeadoris
Species: A. angustolutea
Binomial name
Ardeadoris angustolutea
(Rudman, 1990)[1]
Synonyms[2]

Noumea angustolutea Rudman, 1990 (basionym)

Ardeadoris angustolutea is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.[2] It was transferred to the genus Ardeadoris on the basis of DNA evidence.[3]

Distribution

This species was described from Ruby Reef, 15°43′59″S 145°46′59″E / 15.733°S 145.783°E Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. It occurs in the tropical Indo-West Pacific regions, with confirmed sightings from the Philippines, Thailand, Guam, Hawaii and the Marshall Islands.[4]

Description

The mantle in this species is an almost translucent white in color. The mantle border ranges in color from opaque white to orange-yellow. The midline of the body has a more opaque line that runs from the rhinophores to the posterior branchia (gills). The rhinophores and branchia have an orange-brown tint.

Ecology

The exact food source for this sea slug is not yet known but the type specimen was found on a purple sponge species which is probably its food.[4]

References

  1. Rudman W.B. (1990) The Chromodorididae (Opisthobranchia: Mollusca) of the Indo-West Pacific: further species of Glossodoris, Thorunna and the Chromodoris aureomarginata colour group. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 100: 263-326 page(s): 291
  2. 2.0 2.1 WoRMS, World Register of Marine Species
  3. Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012) Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479
  4. 4.0 4.1 Rudman, W.B., 1999 (October 17) Noumea angustolutea Rudman, 1990. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.


External links

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