Phyllodesmium colemani

Phyllodesmium colemani
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia

clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Dexiarchia
clade Cladobranchia
clade Aeolidida

Superfamily: Aeolidioidea
Family: Facelinidae
Subfamily: Favorininae
Genus: Phyllodesmium
Species: P. colemani
Binomial name
Phyllodesmium colemani
Rudman, 1991[1]

Phyllodesmium colemani is a species of small sea slug, an aolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Facelinidae.

Distribution

The distribution of Phyllodesmium colemani includes Coral Sea.[2]

Description

The length of the slug is 9-18 mm.[2]

This species contains zooxanthellae.[2]

Ecology

Phyllodesmium colemani feeds on Organ pipe coral Tubipora musica.[2]

References

  1. Rudman W. B. (1991). "Further studies on the taxonomy and biology of the octocoral-feeding genus Phyllodesmium Ehrenberg, 1831 (Nudibranchia: Aeolidacea)". Journal of Molluscan Studies 57(2): 167–203. abstract.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Wagner D., Kahng S. E. & Toonen R. J. (2009). "Observations on the life history and feeding ecology of a specialized nudibranch predator (Phyllodesmium poindimiei), with implications for biocontrol of an invasive octocoral (Carijoa riisei) in Hawaii". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 372(1-2): 64-74. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2009.02.007. PDF.