| Berthella ocellata | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Pleurobranchida |
| Family: | Pleurobranchidae |
| Genus: | Berthella |
| Species: | B. ocellata |
| Binomial name | |
| Berthella ocellata (Delle Chiaje, 1830) [1] | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Berthella ocellata is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pleurobranchidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea where it inhabits the shallow sublittoral zone.
The adult length of Berthella ocellata is about 7 cm (2.8 in). It has an oval shape when extended and moving around, and circular when stationary. The head bears a pair of small black eyes and the mouth is underneath, with the buccal veil protruding on either side. The rhinophores are just in front of the eyes, and are tubular, with a split on the under surface; they project from the front edge of the mantle. When moving, the foot trails behind the slug; the underside of the foot is whitish or pale brown. There are two distinct colour forms of this sea slug, either brown, or whitish; in both cases the body is covered with white or pink, translucent, slightly-domed tubercles, each surrounded by a white rim. The gill is yellow and bipinnate and is located between the mantle and the foot, on the right-hand side at the back. Under the mantle dorsally, there is a small, rudimentary, whitish internal shell. [2]
This species occurs in the Mediterranean Sea, the eastern Atlantic Ocean, including the Canary Islands. It is found on rocks in the shallow sublittoral zone, mostly at depths less than 20 m (70 ft) but sometimes as deep as 120 m (400 ft). [2]
Being nocturnal, B. ocellata spends the day under stones, in crevices or in caves; it feeds on sponges such as Plakina trilopha , Plakinastrella copiosa and Corticium candelabrum , using its muscular radula to rasp off fragments. [2] Its foot produces acidic secretions which are distasteful to predators. [2]
These slugs are hermaphrodites. The genital pores are on the right-hand side in front of the gill, and two individual slugs will position themselves in a head-to tail position, and each pass sperm to the other. Fertilisation is internal, and the eggs are probably laid in a gelatinous spiral, as is the case with other members of the genus. [2]
The Pleurobranchidae are a taxonomic family of sea slugs, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Pleurobranchomorpha.
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Berthella ornata is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pleurobranchidae. It is sometimes called the Ornate side-gilled sea slug.
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Leufroyia leufroyi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae.
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Cumia reticulata, common name the false triton, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Colubrariidae. Out of this family, there are at least 6 species that are known to feed on blood. This trait of feeding on blood is likely shared by the entire family.
Berthella is a genus of sea slugs, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Pleurobranchidae.
Berthella martensi is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pleurobranchidae.
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Spurilla neapolitana, the Neapolitan spurilla, is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Aeolidiidae. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. This species was first described as Eolis neapolitana by the Italian naturalist Stefano delle Chiaje in 1841. However, although some authorities quote the year as 1823, the species does not appear in the first volume of delle Chiaje's memoirs, which was published that year. The species was later reassigned to the genus Spurilla.
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Solecurtus strigilatus, also known as the rosy razor clam, is a species of saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Solecurtidae. This mollusc is a suspension feeder and can burrow with great rapidity to escape predators. It is an unusual bivalve in that its shell valves are too small to contain all the soft tissue, and the animal is unable to retreat into its shell.
Mangelia neapolitana is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae, the cone snails and their allies.
Acanthochitona crinita is a species of marine chiton in the family Acanthochitonidae. It is found on rocky coasts in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
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