Cerberilla moebii

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Cerberilla moebii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked):clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Dexiarchia
clade Cladobranchia
clade Aeolidida
Superfamily: Aeolidioidea
Family: Aeolidiidae
Genus: Cerberilla
Species:C. moebii
Binomial name
Cerberilla moebii
(Bergh, 1888) [1]
Synonyms

Fenrisia moebii Bergh, 1888

Cerberilla moebii is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae. [2]

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

Distribution

This species was described from Mauritius. An animal from Reunion may be this species. [3]

Mauritius Island nation in the Indian Ocean

Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometres off the southeast coast of the African continent. The country includes the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, 560 kilometres east of Mauritius, and the outer islands of Agaléga and St. Brandon. The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues form part of the Mascarene Islands, along with nearby Réunion, a French overseas department. The area of the country is 2,040 km2. The capital and largest city is Port Louis. The island is widely known as the only known home of the dodo, which, along with several other avian species, was made extinct by human activities relatively shortly after the island's settlement.

Description

All Cerberilla species have a broad foot and the cerata are long and numerous, arranged in transverse rows across the body. In this species the long oral tentacles have bands of dark blue and there is a narrow band of black on each of the cerata. Two species from the Indian Ocean, Cerberilla africana Eliot, 1903 (East Africa) and Cerberilla affinis (Bergh, 1888) - Indonesia are similar in colour.

Cerata anatomical structures found in nudibranch sea slugs

Ceras, plural Cerata, are anatomical structures found externally in nudibranch sea slugs, especially in aeolid nudibranchs, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the clade Aeolidida. The singular of cerata is ceras, which comes from the Greek word "κέρας", meaning "horn", a reference to the shape of these structures.

<i>Cerberilla africana</i> species of mollusc

Cerberilla africana is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.

Cerberilla affinis is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae. It was described as a variety by Bergh, 1888 but elevated to species status by Burn, 1966.

Ecology

Species of Cerberilla live on and in sandy substrates where they burrow beneath the surface and feed on burrowing sea anemones.

Related Research Articles

<i>Baeolidia moebii</i> species of mollusc

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Cerberilla annulata is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.

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Cerberilla asamusiensis is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.

<i>Cerberilla ambonensis</i> species of mollusc

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Cerberilla bernadettae is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.

Cerberilla chavezi is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.

Cerberilla incola is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.

Cerberilla longibranchus is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.

Cerberilla longicirrha is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae. It is the type species of the genus Cerberilla.

Cerberilla mosslandica is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.

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Cerberilla tanna is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae.

Phyllidiella striata is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Phyllidiidae.

References

  1. ↑ Bergh R. (1888-1889). Nudibranchien vom Meere der Insel Mauritius. In: Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen von Dr. C. Semper, vol. 2: Malakologische Untersuchungen, part 3, pp. 755-872, pl. 77-84. [pp. 755-814, pl. 77-81, August 2, 1888; pp. 815-872, pl. 82-84, March 27, 1889, according to Winckworth, 1946], page(s): 778, pl. 79 fig. 10–16, pl. 80 fig. 1–4
  2. ↑ Gofas, S., Bouchet, P. (2015). Cerberilla moebii. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-11-12
  3. ↑ Bidgrain, P. (2015) Cerberilla affinis South-west Indian Ocean Seaslug site.
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