Hermissenda opalescens | |
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Closeup of Hermissenda opalescens off Monterey, California | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Order: | Nudibranchia |
Suborder: | Cladobranchia |
Family: | Myrrhinidae |
Genus: | Hermissenda |
Species: | H. opalescens |
Binomial name | |
Hermissenda opalescens Cooper, 1863 [1] | |
Hermissenda opalescens is a species of brightly coloured sea slug or nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae. [2]
This species is commonly known as the "opalescent sea slug."
This nudibranch was described from San Diego, California, United States. [1] It has been reported from Northern California, to Punta Eugenia, Mexico. Its distribution overlaps with Hermissenda crassicornis in Northern California and this latter species is found north to Alaska. [2] These two species were routinely treated as a single species during the last 90 years. [3]
The species has also been observed in Bahia de los Angeles, Gulf of California.
This sea slug is found in various habitats, including the intertidal zone of rocky shores, but also in bays and estuaries.
The species grows to be about 50 mm, or about 2 inches.
This slug has been treated as a model organism and used in studies into classical conditioning, memory consolidation and associative learning, the structure of neural circuits and neural physiology. It has also been used to investigate ultrastructure and anatomy, larval and reproductive ecology, behavioral ecology and pharmacology and toxicology including studies into Beta thymosins. Unfortunately these studies did not differentiate between the three species of Hermissenda. [2]
This nudibranch feeds on hydroids and other marine organisms such as ascidians and sea anemones. It sometimes attacks other nudibranchs, and will eat smaller specimens of its own species. It is host to the ectoparasites Halicyclops thysanotus Wilson C.B., 1935 and Hemicyclops thysanotus Wilson C.B., 1935.
Nudibranchs belong to the order Nudibranchia, a group of soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs that 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", "dragon", and "sea rabbit". Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known.
Aplysiidae is the only family in the superfamily Aplysioidea, within the clade Anaspidea. These animals are commonly called sea hares because, unlike most sea slugs, they are often quite large, and when they are underwater, their rounded body shape and the long rhinophores on their heads mean that their overall shape resembles that of a sitting rabbit or hare. Sea hares are however sea snails with shells reduced to a small plate hidden between the parapodia, and some species are extremely large. The Californian black sea hare, Aplysia vaccaria is arguably the largest living gastropod species, and is certainly the largest living heterobranch gastropod.
Glaucus atlanticus is a species of sea slug in the family Glaucidae.
Hermissenda crassicornis, also known as the opalescent nudibranch or thick-horned nudibranch, is a species of brightly coloured, sea slug or nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.
As applied to mollusks, the Neo-Latin term diverticulum is an anatomical feature. The term is most often encountered in the plural form as "diverticula", "hepatic diverticula", or "digestive diverticula", which are anatomical terms for organs which are visible from the outside of the body in a clade of sea slugs known as aeolid nudibranchs, marine opisthobranch gastropod molluscs.
Aeolidia papillosa, known as the common grey sea slug, is a species of nudibranch in the family Aeolidiidae.
Phidiana hiltoni is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.
The diamondback tritonia is a species of nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tritoniidae. It is an opportunistic predator of other marine invertebrates.
Doris odhneri is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Dorididae. It is known by many common names, such as: giant white nudibranch, giant white dorid, and white-knight nudibranch. It is also often referred to as Odhner's dorid to honor Nils Hjalmar Odhner, the scientist it is named after.
Phyllodesmium is a genus of predatory sea slugs, aeolid nudibranchs, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Myrrhinidae.
Chromodoris orientalis is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae. Sea slugs are generally very beautifully colored organisms with intense patterns and ranging in sizes. The Chromodoris orientalis specifically is a white sea slug with black spots in no particular pattern with a yellow, orange, or brown in color ring around its whole body and on its gills. There is much discussion on where it is found, what it eats, how it defends itself without a shell, and its reproduction methods. This is all sought after information because there is not much known about these animals.
Phidiana is a genus of sea slugs, aeolid nudibranchs, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Facelinidae.
Hermissenda is a genus of sea slugs, aeolid nudibranchs, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Facelinidae.
Phyllodesmium opalescens is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.
Aplidium solidum is a species of colonial sea squirts, a tunicate in the family Polyclinidae. It is commonly known as the red ascidian or sea pork.
Charles Henry O'Donoghue FRSE FZS was an English zoologist who studied molluscs, a malacologist. His publications mostly deal with sea slugs and he also named a number of Bryozoans. A collection of over 700 items left to the University of Reading is known as the O'Donoghue Collection.
Dendronotus dalli is a species of sea slug, a dendronotid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusc in the family Dendronotidae.
Hermissenda emurai is a species of brightly coloured sea slug or nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.
Aeolidia loui is a species of sea slugs, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Aeolidiidae. It has been regarded as the same species as the NE Atlantic Aeolidia papillosa but is now known to be a distinct species. Common names include shaggy mouse nudibranch, and shag-rug nudibranch.
The opalescent nudibranch or opalescent sea slug may refer to: