Flabellina gracilis

Flabellina gracilis
The nudibranch Flabellina gracilis, Gulen Dive Centre, Norway.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia

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

Superfamily: Flabellinoidea
Family: Flabellinidae
Genus: Flabellina
Species: F. gracilis
Binomial name
Flabellina gracilis
(Alder & Hancock, 1844)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Eolis gracilis Alder & Hancock, 1844
  • Coryphella gracilis (Alder & Hancock, 1844)
  • Coryphella rufibranchialis var. clavigera Odhner, 1929
  • Eolis smaragdina Alder & Hancock, 1851

Flabellina gracilis, sometimes known by the common name slender eolis, is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Flabellinidae.[2]

Distribution

This species was described from Cullercoats, North Sea. It is a fairly common species found in current-swept sites from northern France to Norway and Iceland. It is also reported from the East coast of North America from Newfoundland south to New England.[3]

Description

This Flabellina has a narrow body and cerata in well defined clusters. The cerata have a narrow band of white pigment at the tip which is often broken into spots. Mature animals typically measure 12-15 mm in length.[4] The maximum recorded body length is 25 mm.[5]

Ecology

Minimum recorded depth is 0 m.[5] Maximum recorded depth is 33 m.[5]

The diet of this species is hydroids of the genus Eudendrium.

References

  1. ↑ Alder J. & Hancock A. (1844). Description of a new genus of nudibranchiate Mollusca, with some new species of Eolis. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 13: 161-167, p.166.
  2. 1 2 Rosenberg, G. (2015). "Flabellina gracilis (Alder & Hancock, 1844)". WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  3. ↑ Rudman, W.B., 1999 (August 28) Flabellina gracilis (Alder & Hancock, 1844). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  4. ↑ Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C., 2010. Coryphella gracilis (Alder & Hancock, 1844) [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.
  5. 1 2 3 Welch J. J. (2010). "The “Island Rule” and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008776.
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