Phyllodesmium serratum

Phyllodesmium serratum
Phyllodesmium serratum, head end towards the lower left
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. serratum
Binomial name
Phyllodesmium serratum
(Baba, 1949)
Synonyms[1]
  • Hervia serrata Baba, 1949
  • Cratena serrata
  • Babaiella serrata
  • Phyllodesmium serrata

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

Distribution

The distribution of Phyllodesmium serratum includes Australia, Japan, Tanzania[1] and South Africa.[2]

Description

The length of the slug is usually 10-25 mm, but its length can reach up to 40 mm.[3]

This species contains no zooxanthellae.[1]

Ecology

Phyllodesmium serratum feeds on the soft corals Comularia sp., Clavularia sp., Carijua sp. and Steronephtia sp.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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.
  2. ↑ Bouchet, P. (2010). Phyllodesmium serratum (Baba, 1949). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=225502 on 2011-01-08
  3. ↑ (Japanese) Baba K. (1991). "日本産サガミミノウミウシの解剖学的研究 The anatomy of Phyllodesmium serratum (Baba, 1949) from Japan (Nudibranchia: Facelinidae)". Venus 50(2): 101-108. abstract.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phyllodesmium serratum.