Trinchesia caerulea

Trinchesia caerulea
Trinchesia caerulea, Mediterranean form
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia

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

Superfamily: Fionoidea
Family: Tergipedidae
Genus: Trinchesia
Species: T. caerulea
Binomial name
Trinchesia caerulea
(Montagu, 1804)[1]
Synonyms
  • Doris caerulea Montagu, 1804
  • Cuthona caerulea (Montagu, 1804)

Trinchesia caerulea is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tergipedidae.[2]

Distribution

This species was described from Devon, England. It has been reported from the NE Atlantic from Norway south to Portugal and in the Mediterranean Sea. Records from Brazil and Florida probably represent a different species.[3][4]

Description

The typical size of this species is 10-15 mm and the maximum recorded length is 26 mm.[5]

Habitat

Found from the intertidal zone to 270 m.[5] Trinchesia caerulea feeds on hydroids of the genus Sertularella.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Montagu, George. 1804. [for 1802]. Description of several marine animals found on the south coast of Devonshire. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 7:61-85, pls. 6-7.
  2. ↑ Gofas, S. (2014). Cuthona caerulea. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=141617 on 2015-01-26
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C., 2010. [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland
  4. ↑ Rudman, W.B., 2000 (May 20) Cuthona caerulea (Montagu, 1804). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Thompson, T.E. and Brown, G.H., 1984. Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs, Volume II. The Ray Society. 229 pages 41 plates, 40 figures
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