Phyllodesmium crypticum
| Phyllodesmium crypticum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Phyllodesmium crypticum from Bitung, North Sulawesi, head end towards the right | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura |
| Superfamily: | Aeolidioidea |
| Family: | Facelinidae |
| Subfamily: | Favorininae |
| Genus: | Phyllodesmium |
| Species: | P. crypticum |
| Binomial name | |
| Phyllodesmium crypticum Rudman, 1981[1] | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
|
Phyllodesmium cryptica | |
Phyllodesmium crypticum is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.[2]
Distribution
This species was described from Angourie, northern New South Wales, Australia. It has been reported from Indonesia and the Red Sea.[3]
Description
Phyllodesmium crypticum uses camouflage and looks like the soft coral Xenia amongst which it is normally found. The length of the slug is 45-60 mm. This species contains zooxanthellae and has cerata which have a most distinctive shape. They are dorso-ventrally flattened and quadrangular in cross-section. A row of nodules runs up each of the four edges of the ceras and there are also scattered nodules on the two flat sides.[1]
Ecology
Phyllodesmium crypticum feeds on Xenia.[3]
References
- 1 2 Rudman W. B. (1981). "The anatomy and biology of alcyonarian-feeding aeolid opistobranch molluscs and their development of symbiosis with zooxanthellae". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 72(3): 219-262. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1981.tb01571.x.
- 1 2 Bouchet, P., 2015. Phyllodesmium crypticum Rudman, 1981. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-06
- 1 2 Rudman, W.B., 1998 (October 11) Phyllodesmium crypticum Rudman, 1981. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
External links
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