Anteaeolidiella saldanhensis
| Anteaeolidiella saldanhensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura |
| Superfamily: | Aeolidioidea |
| Family: | Aeolidiidae |
| Genus: | Anteaeolidiella |
| Species: | A. saldanhensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Anteaeolidiella saldanhensis (Barnard, 1927) | |
Anteaeolidiella saldanhensis, is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch. It is a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.[1]
Distribution
This species is confined to the South African coast from Saldanha Bay to southern KwaZulu Natal. It is found from the intertidal zone to a depth of at least 10 m.[2]
Description
Anteaeolidiella saldanhensis can grow as large as 35 mm in total length. It is a slender-bodied nudibranch with orange markings on its notum. Its rhinophores and oral tentacles are white-tipped. Its cerata are short and fat, and are grey or pink with pale tips.[3][4]
Ecology
This nudibranch feeds on the striped anemone Anthothoe chilensis. Its egg mass is a simple spiral consisting of three complete whorls.
References
- ↑ Carmona, L.; Bhave, V.; Salunkhe, R.; Pola, M.; Gosliner, T. M.; Cervera, J. L. (2014). Systematic review of Anteaeolidiella (Mollusca, Nudibranchia, Aeolidiidae) based on morphological and molecular data, with a description of three new species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 171(1): 108-132., available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/zoj.12129
- ↑ Gosliner, T.M. (1987). Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN 0-930118-13-8 (as Aeolidiella indica)
- ↑ ZSILAVECZ, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN 0-620-38054-3 (as Aeolidiella indica)
- ↑ Photo of Anteaeolidiella saldanhensis [on] Flickr