Aegires ortizi

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Aegires ortizi
Aegires ortizi.png
Dorsal view of Aegires ortizi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked):clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Euctenidiacea
clade Doridacea
Superfamily: Polyceroidea
Family: Aegiridae
Genus: Aegires
Species:A. ortizi
Binomial name
Aegires ortizi
Templado, Luque & Ortea, 1987 [1]

Aegires ortizi is a species of sea slug, an nudibranch, a marine, opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aegiridae.

In biology, a species ( ) is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology, behaviour or ecological niche. In addition, paleontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. While these definitions may seem adequate, when looked at more closely they represent problematic species concepts. For example, the boundaries between closely related species become unclear with hybridisation, in a species complex of hundreds of similar microspecies, and in a ring species. Also, among organisms that reproduce only asexually, the concept of a reproductive species breaks down, and each clone is potentially a microspecies.

Sea slug group of marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs

Sea slug is a common name for some marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs. Most creatures known as sea slugs are actually gastropods, i.e. they are sea snails that over evolutionary time have either completely lost their shells, or have seemingly lost their shells due to having a greatly reduced or internal shell. The name "sea slug" is most often applied to nudibranchs, as well as to a paraphyletic set of other marine gastropods without obvious shells.

Nudibranch order of molluscs

Nudibranchs are a group of soft-bodied, marine gastropod molluscs which shed their shells after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colours and striking forms, and they have been given colourful nicknames to match, such as "clown", "marigold", "splendid", "dancer", and "dragon". Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known.

Contents

The specific name ortizi is in honour of Dr. Manuel Ortiz from the Center for Marine Research, University of Havana. [1]

In zoological nomenclature, the specific name is the second part within the scientific name of a species. The first part of the name of a species is the name of the genus or the generic name. The rules and regulations governing the giving of a new species name are explained in the article species description.

University of Havana university located in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba

The University of Havana or UH is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, the capital of the Republic of Cuba. Founded on January 5, 1728, the university is the oldest in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas. Originally a religious institution, today the University of Havana has 15 faculties (colleges) at its Havana campus and distance learning centers throughout Cuba.

Distribution

Distribution of Aegires ortizi includes Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Venezuela, Cuba and Panama. [2]

Description

Body is elongate. [2] Tubercles are large, varying from conical to mushroom-shaped, with flat tops in some individuals. [2] Gill leaves forming a semicircle on the posterior portion of the dorsum. [2] Background color is usually mottled white, sometimes with noticeable brown spots. [2] It is up to 8 mm long. [2] [3]

Ecology

Minimum recorded depth is 2 m. [3] Maximum recorded depth is 5 m. [3]

A single specimen was found on cyanobacteria over coral rubble and sand patches in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama. [2] In the Bahamas this species has been found on algae of the genera Cladophora and Sargassum . [2]

Cyanobacteria phylum of Gram-negative bacteria

Cyanobacteria, also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthesis and are the only photosynthetic prokaryotes able to produce oxygen. The name cyanobacteria comes from the color of the bacteria. Cyanobacteria, which are prokaryotes, are also called "blue-green algae", though the term algae in modern usage is restricted to eukaryotes.

Bocas del Toro Archipelago group of islands in the northwest of the Caribbean Sea in Panama

The Bocas del Toro Archipelago is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea in the northwest of Panama. The archipelago separates Almirante Bay and Chiriquí Lagoon from the open Caribbean Sea. The archipelago is part of the Bocas del Toro District which is part of Bocas del Toro Province. The major city is Bocas del Toro, also called Bocas Town, on Isla Colón. The islands are accessible by water taxis and private boats. Isla Colón is accessible by airplanes, ferries, private boats, and water taxis. Bocas del Toro "Isla Colón" International Airport, located just west of Bocas Town, provides air transportation to and from the islands. Ferries serve Bocas Town from Almirante, Changuinola, and Chiriquí Grande.

<i>Cladophora</i> A genus of filamentous green algae

Cladophora is a genus of reticulated filamentous Ulvophyceae. The genus Cladophora contains many species that are very hard to tell apart and classify, mainly because of the great variation in their appearances, which is affected by habitat, age and environmental conditions. Unlike Spirogyra the filaments of Cladophora branch and it doesn't undergo conjugation. There are two multicellular stages in its life cycle - a haploid gametophyte and a diploid sporophyte - which look highly similar. The only way to tell the two stages apart is to either count their chromosomes, or examine their offspring. The haploid gametophyte produces haploid gametes by mitosis and the diploid sporophyte produces haploid spores by meiosis. The only visible difference between the gametes and spores of Cladophora is that the gametes have two flagella and the spores have four. The Cladophora species can be a major nuisance causing major alteration to benthic conditions linked particularly with increased phosphorus loading.

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References

This article incorporates Creative Commons (CC-BY-4.0) text from the reference [2]

  1. 1 2 Templado J., Luque A. A. & Ortea J. (1987). "A new species of Aegires Lovén, 1844 (Opisthobranchia, Doridacea, Aegiretidae) from the Caribbean Sea: Aegires ortizi n. sp. with comparative descriptions of the North Atlantic species of this genus". The Veliger 29(3): 303-307.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Goodheart J. A., Ellingson R. A., Vital X. G., Galvão Filho H. C., McCarthy J. B., Medrano S. M., Bhave V. J., García-Méndez K., Jiménez L. M., López G. & Hoover C. A. (2016). "Identification guide to the heterobranch sea slugs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Bocas del Toro, Panama". Marine Biodiversity Records9(1): 56. doi : 10.1186/s41200-016-0048-z
  3. 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.