Phyllodesmium orientale

Phyllodesmium orientale
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. orientale
Binomial name
Phyllodesmium orientale
Baba, 1991[1]

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

Distribution

The distribution of Phyllodesmium orientale includes Japan.[2][1] The type locality is Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan.[1]

Description

The length of the slug is 25 mm.[2]

This species contains zooxanthellae.[2]

Ecology

Phyllodesmium orientale has been found on soft coral Xenia[2] so it can be probably its food.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Baba K. (1991). "Taxonomical study of some species of the genus Phyllodesmium from Cape Muroto-misaki, Shikoku, and Okinawa Province, Southern Japan (Nudibranchia: Facelinidae)". Venus 50(2): 109-124. 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.