Blue-speckled nudibranch

Last updated

Blue-speckled nudibranch
Bluespeckled dendrodoris.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Phyllidioidea
Family: Dendrodorididae
Genus: Dendrodoris
Species:
D. caesia
Binomial name
Dendrodoris caesia
(Bergh, 1905)

The blue-speckled nudibranch (Dendrodoris caesia) is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Dendrodorididae.

Contents

Distribution

This species has so far only been found around the southern African coast from the Cape Peninsula to Port Elizabeth subtidally to at least 20 m. It is probably endemic. [1]

Description

A pink morph of the blue-speckled nudibranch Blue speckled pink dendrodoris.jpg
A pink morph of the blue-speckled nudibranch

The blue-speckled nudibranch is a large nudibranch with a frilly margin. The speckles can be almost continuous and in some specimens the animal is pink-speckled. The rhinophores are perfoliate and the gill rosette is large and blue-edged. It may reach a total length of 120 mm. [2]

Ecology

This species feeds on a yellow-brown sponge. The egg mass is a messy ribbon of several whorls.

Related Research Articles

<i>Trinchesia speciosa</i> Species of gastropod

Trinchesia speciosa, common name the "candy nudibranch", is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trinchesiidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwarf warty pleurobranch</span> Species of gastropod

The dwarf warty pleurobranch, Pleurobranchaea tarda, is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pleurobranchaeidae.

<i>Leminda millecra</i> Species of gastropod

The frilled nudibranch, Leminda millecra, is a species of metarminid nudibranch, and is only found in South Africa. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Charcotiidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gasflame nudibranch</span> Species of gastropod

The gasflame nudibranch is a very colourful species of nudibranch, or sea slug. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Proctonotidae. Bonisa nakaza is the only species in the genus Bonisa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate-chip nudibranch</span> Species of gastropod

The chocolate-chip nudibranch, Aphelodoris sp. 1, is an undescribed species of dorid nudibranch as designated by Gosliner, 1987. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Dorididae. As of November 2009, it was undescribed by academics.

<i>Rostanga elandsia</i> Species of gastropod

Rostanga elandsia, is a species of dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Discodorididae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape dorid</span> Species of gastropod

The Cape dorid is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inkspot nudibranch</span> Species of gastropod

The inkspot nudibranch, Ceratosoma ingozi, is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandela's nudibranch</span> Species of gastropod

Mandela's nudibranch, Mandelia mirocornata, is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc, the only member of the genus Mandelia and the family Mandeliidae. The genus and family name honor Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giraffe spot nudibranch</span> Species of gastropod

The giraffe spot nudibranch, Ancula sp., as designated by Gosliner, 1987, is a species of colourful sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae. As of November 2009, it remained undescribed by science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasselled nudibranch</span> Species of gastropod

The tasselled nudibranch, scientific name Kaloplocamus ramosus, is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, and a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black nudibranch</span> Species of gastropod

The black nudibranch is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. This species is endemic to South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghost nudibranch</span> Species of gastropod

The ghost nudibranch, Lecithophorus capensis, is a species of dorid nudibranch, and is only found in South Africa. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae. It is the sole species of the genus Lecithophorus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinosaur nudibranch</span> Species of gastropod

The dinosaur nudibranch is a species of dendronotid nudibranch, and is only found in South Africa. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tethydidae.

<i>Melibe rosea</i> Species of gastropod

Melibe rosea, the cowled nudibranch, is a species of sea slug, a dendronotid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tethydidae.

<i>Notobryon wardi</i> Species of gastropod

Notobryon wardi, the iridescent nudibranch, is a species of scyllid nudibranch, and is found in South Africa. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Scyllaeidae.

<i>Janolus longidentatus</i> Species of gastropod

Janolus longidentatus, the medallion silvertip nudibranch, is a spectacular-looking species of nudibranch, or sea slug. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Proctonotidae.

Amanda armata, the night sky nudibranch, is a species of sea slug, specifically an aeolid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.

References

  1. GOSLINER, T.M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN   0-930118-13-8
  2. ZSILAVECZ, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN   0-620-38054-3