Felimare zebra

Felimare zebra
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Nudibranchia
Family:	Chromodorididae
Genus:	Felimare
Species:	F. zebra
Binomial name
Felimare zebra (Heilprin, 1889)
Synonyms [1]
Chromodoris zebra Heilprin, 1889 (basionym) Doris scacchii Chiaje, S. delle, 1830, "1822" Glossodoris zebra Heilprin, A., 1888 Hypselodoris zebra (Heilprin, 1889)

Felimare zebra, common name the zebra doris, is a colourful species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae. ^{[1] [2]}

Distribution

This nudibranch is known only from Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean. ^{[3] [4]}

Description

Felimare zebra is a rather large nudibranch and can reach a total length of at least 180 mm (7.1 in). It has a black body with longitudinal orange lines running along the body and dorsum. Its mantle edge is usually white, sometimes dotted with black spots. The gills are a translucent colour outlined in black, and the rhinophores are completely black. There is some colour variation in this species. ^{[5] [6]} Its similarity to Felimare picta was explored in an investigation into the close relationship of Felimare picta, Felimare bayeri , Felimare tema , Felimare lajensis and Felimare zebra. ^[7]

Ecology

Minimum recorded depth is 1 m and maximum recorded depth is 18 m. ^[8] This species feeds on the sponge Dysidea etheria. ^[9]

References

1. Bouchet, P. (2012). Felimare zebra. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=597538 on 2012-05-14
2. Johnson R.F. & Gosliner T.M. (2012) Traditional taxonomic groupings mask evolutionary history: A molecular phylogeny and new classification of the chromodorid nudibranchs. PLoS ONE 7(4): e33479
3. Thompson, T.E., 1977. The taxonomic status of two Bermudan Opisthobranchs. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 43: 217-222.
4. Crozier W. J. (1916). "On the immunity coloration of some nudibranchs". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2: 672-675.
5. Ortea, J., Valdés, Á. & García-Gómez, J.C. (1996). Revisión de las especies atlánticas de la familia Chromodorididae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia) del grupo cromático azul. Avicennia suplemento 1: 1-165 page(s): 5
6. Debelius, H. & Kuiter, R.H. (2007) Nudibranchs of the world. ConchBooks, Frankfurt, 360 pp. ISBN   978-3-939767-06-0 page(s): 110
7. Almada F., Levy A. & Robalo J.I. (2016). Not so sluggish: the success of Felimare picta complex (Gastropoda, Nudibranchia) crossing Atlantic biogeographic barriers. PeerJ. 4: e1561.
8. Welch J. J. (2010). "The "Island Rule" and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. doi : 10.1371/journal.pone.0008776 .
9. • Grode S. H. & Cardellina J. H. (1984). "Sesquiterpenes from the sponge Dysidea etheria and the nudibranch Hypselodoris zebra". Journal of Natural Products 47(1): 76-83.