Cyerce nigricans

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Cyerce nigricans
Cyerce nigricans.png
Cyerce nigricans on Chlorodesmis fastigiata . Locality: Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. The length of the slug is about 4 cm.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Family: Hermaeidae
Genus: Cyerce
Species:
C. nigricans
Binomial name
Cyerce nigricans
(Pease, 1866) [1]

Cyerce nigricans, is a species of sacoglossan sea slug, a shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Caliphyllidae. [2] Akin to other species of sea slugs, they dwell in reef flats and similar areas. [3] In contrast to the rest of the genus Cyerce, Cyerce nigricans are not cryptically colored. They are often used as the staple animal of the Great Barrier Reef because of their outlandish coloration, often appearing in blacks, yellows, reds, and oranges. The cerata of Cyerce nigricans are occasionally compared to the wings of a butterfly, based on their shape and color. This sea slug has developed autotomy, or the ability to drop parts of its cerata when threatened. [3]

Contents

Distribution

This species has been observed in the western and central Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. [4] The last known sighting of the Black-and-gold Sapsucking Slug was in the Pemba North Region on January 4, 2026. [5]

Dorsal view of Cyerce nigricans. Cyerce nigricans.jpeg
Dorsal view of Cyerce nigricans.

References

  1. ↑ Pease W. H. (1866). "Remarks on nudibranchiata inhabiting the Pacific islands, with descriptions of two new genera". American Journal of Conchology2(2): 204-208.
  2. ↑ Bouchet, P. (2015). Cyerce nigricans (Pease, 1866). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=494516 on 2016-03-03
  3. 1 2 Rudman, WB (2010-07-15). "The Sea Slug Forum - Cyerce nigricans". www.seaslugforum.net. Retrieved 2026-01-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ Cyerce nigricans ( Pease, 1866) http://seaslugs.free.fr/nudibranche/a_cyerce_nigricans.htm
  5. ↑ etanganelli (2026-01-14). "Black-and-gold Sapsucking Slug (Cyerce nigricans)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
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