| Chelidonura varians | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
| Order: | Cephalaspidea |
| Family: | Aglajidae |
| Genus: | Chelidonura |
| Species: | C. varians |
| Binomial name | |
| Chelidonura varians Eliot, 1903 | |
Chelidonura varians is a species of small sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the order Cephalaspidea, the headshield slugs. [1]
This species has a maximum size of 70 mm. [2] The background color is deep black. The margin of the parapods and body are marked with a thin electric blue line. The two rather long "tails" at the end of the animal are characteristic of the genus Chelidonura, the left one is always longer. They have also well-developed sensory cilia on the anterior edge of the head which are used to find their prey. [2] [3]
This species lives on reef areas in shallow water lagoons with sandy or muddy bottom until 30 m depth. [4]
This cephalaspidean is widespread in the tropical waters of the Indo-west Pacific region. [3]
Chelidonura varians feeds on flatworms and it is used in aquariums to eradicate small flat worm invasions. [5]
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 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.
The Spanish dancer, scientific name Hexabranchus sanguineus, is a dorid nudibranch, a very large and colorful sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Hexabranchidae.
Chelidonura hirundinina is a species of small and colorful aglajid sea slug, a shell-less opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aglajidae.
Elysia ornata, commonly known as ornate elysia or ornate leaf slug, is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk. This sea slug superficially resembles a nudibranch, yet it does not belong to that suborder of gastropods. Instead it is a member of the closely related clade Sacoglossa, the "sap-sucking" sea slugs.
Chelidonura pallida is a species of sea slug, or "headshield slug", a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aglajidae.
Chelidonura is a genus of small, sometimes colorful, sea slugs. These are headshield slugs or cephalaspideans, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Aglajidae.
Chelidonura punctata is a species of sea slug, or "headshield slug", a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aglajidae.
Chelidonura amoena is a species of sea slug, or "headshield slug", a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aglajidae.
Glossodoris rufomarginata, commonly called white-margin sea slug or caramel nudibranch, is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.
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Goniobranchus fidelis, also commonly known as the faithful sea slug, is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.
Chelidonura sandrana is a species of sea slug, or "headshield slug", a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aglajidae.
Miamira alleni is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.
Coryphellina rubrolineata is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine heterobranch mollusc in the family Flabellinidae.
Phyllidia coelestis is a species of sea slug, a sacoglossan, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Phyllidiidae.
Chelidonura electra is a species of sea slug, a "headshield slug", a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aglajidae. The species name comes from the daughter of Agamemnon, Electra, and the Greek goddess of the same name, meaning "shining", with reference to the brilliance of this slug.
Cratena peregrina, commonly called the pilgrim hervia, is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.
Goniobranchus leopardus, is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.
Biuve fulvipunctata, the white-speckled headshield slug, is a species of sea slug or headshield slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Aglajidae. This species is widespread in the Indian and Pacific Oceans but has invaded the Mediterranean Sea since 1961, despite apparently being absent from the Red Sea until recorded there in the 21st century. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Biuve.
Tubulophilinopsis gardineri, the Gardiner’s philinopsis, or Gardiner's headshield slug is a species of sea slug, a shell-less opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Aglajidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region.
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