Hermissenda crassicornis
| Hermissenda crassicornis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Closeup of Hermissenda crassicornis off Monterey, California | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura |
| Superfamily: | Aeolidioidea |
| Family: | Facelinidae |
| Genus: | Hermissenda |
| Species: | H. crassicornis |
| Binomial name | |
| Hermissenda crassicornis Eschscholtz, 1831 | |
Hermissenda crassicornis is a species of small, brightly colored, sea slug or nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Facelinidae.[1]
This species is also commonly known as the "opalescent sea slug."
Distribution
This nudibranch lives from Kodiak Island, Alaska, to Punta Eugenia, Mexico.
The species has also been observed in Bahia de los Angeles, Gulf of California, and in Japan and along the South East Indian Coast.[2]
Habitat
It can be found in various habitats, including the intertidal zone of rocky shores, but also in bays and estuaries.
Description
The species grows to be about 50 mm, or about 2 inches. The color of this nudibranch varies from one locality to another, but it is always easily recognizable by the orange stripe along its back.
It is often confused with the Caloria Indica, though differs from it by the having a larger number of branches, creating a dense, fur-like pattern.
This slug has been also used in several studies about Beta thymosins.
Life habits
This nudibranch feeds on hydroids and other marine organisms such as ascidians and sea anemones. It sometimes attacks other nudibranchs, and will eat smaller specimens of its own species. It is host to the ectoparasites Halicyclops thysanotus Wilson C.B., 1935 and Hemicyclops thysanotus Wilson C.B., 1935.
References
- ↑ Rosenberg, G. (2011). Hermissenda crassicornis (Eschscholtz, 1831). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=367883 on 2012-06-03
- ↑ "Hermissenda crassicornis". The Slugsite. Retrieved 17 April 2006.
Books
- Behrens David W., 1980, ‘’Pacific Coast Nudibranchs: a guide to the opisthobranchs of the northeastern Pacific’’, Sea Challenger Books, California
Gallery
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hermissenda crassicornis. |