Nembrotha purpureolineata

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Nembrotha purpureolineata
Nembrotha rutilans.jpg
Nembrotha purpureolineata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Euctenidiacea
clade Doridacea
Superfamily:
Polyceroidea
Family:
Polyceridae
Subfamily:
Nembrothinae
Genus:
Nembrotha
Species:
N. purpureolineata
Binomial name
Nembrotha purpureolineata
O'Donoghue, 1924 [1]
Synonyms
  • Kentiella rutilansPruvot-Fol, 1931
  • Nembrotha rutilans(Pruvot-Fol, 1931) [2]

Nembrotha purpureolineata is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae. Nembrotha rutilans, classified as a separate species until 2008, has now been reclassified as Nembrotha purpureolineata. [3] [4]

Contents

Taxonomy

Nembrotha purpureolineata was first described from a preserved specimen collected from Abrolhos Islands off Western Australia by O'Donoghue in 1924. The short colour description given is probably enough to identify it to be the same as Nembrotha rutilans (Pruvot-Fol, 1931). [2] The description of this species was done purely from a painting of marine life on the Great Barrier Reef in a book by William Saville-Kent, (1893) [5] and so the earlier name has been given precedence. [3] [4]

Distribution

This nudibranch occurs in the west of the tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean. [6]

Description

Nembrotha purpureolineata is a large pale-bodied dorid. Although the ground colour is a creamy white, this is mostly hidden by a large brown patch which covers most of the notum. Brown stripes usually run down the sides of the body and a brown band is found around the head and anterior part of the mantle. The rhinophores are red to orange-red. The foot is usually edged with purple, though this may only be rather faint. It may reach a total length of 120 mm. [6] This species is easily confused with Nembrotha aurea and Nembrotha chamberlaini. All three species have a similar range of colour variation although N. aurea often has orange patches not present in Nembrotha purpureolineata.

Ecology

This species feeds on ascidians and tunicates. It has been seen feeding on the yellow-lined ascidian, Clavelina meridionalis . [6]

Related Research Articles

Alice Pruvot-Fol was a French opisthobranch malacologist.

Polyceridae Family of gastropods

The Polyceridae are a taxonomic family of sea slugs, dorid nudibranchs, marine gastropod mollusks within the superfamily Polyceroidea.

<i>Nembrotha</i> Genus of gastropods

Nembrotha is a genus of sea slugs, nudibranchs, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Polyceridae.

<i>Goniobranchus geminus</i> Species of gastropod

Goniobranchus geminus, also known as the gem sea slug, is a species of very colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

<i>Goniobranchus kuniei</i> Species of gastropod

Goniobranchus kuniei is a species of very colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

<i>Chromodoris westraliensis</i> Species of gastropod

Chromodoris westraliensis is a species of very colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.

<i>Nembrotha kubaryana</i> Species of gastropod

Nembrotha kubaryana, also known as the variable neon slug or the dusky nembrotha, is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae.

<i>Nembrotha cristata</i> Species of gastropod

Nembrotha cristata is a species of colourful sea slug, a polycerid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. This species of sea slug is black with green markings; adults are around 50 mm in length, and they live on rock or coral reefs in the tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean.

<i>Nembrotha chamberlaini</i> Species of mollusc

Nembrotha chamberlaini is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. It was first described in 1997.

<i>Atagema</i> Genus of gastropods

Atagema is a genus of sea slugs, specifically dorid nudibranchs. They are marine gastropod molluscs in the family Discodorididae.

<i>Nembrotha milleri</i> Species of gastropod

Nembrotha milleri is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. This species was named after the nudibranch enthusiast Michael D. Miller.

<i>Hypselodoris dollfusi</i> Species of gastropod

Hypselodoris dollfusi is a species of colourful sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae. After being described initially in 1933 by Pruvot-Fol, this species was not seen again until its rediscovery in 2000 in the Sea of Khorfakkan, United Arab Emirates.

<i>Nembrotha rosannulata</i> Species of gastropod

Nembrotha rosannulata is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. It was first described in 2008.

<i>Nembrotha aurea</i> Species of gastropod

Nembrotha aurea is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. It was first described in 2008.

<i>Nembrotha livingstonei</i> Species of gastropod

Nembrotha livingstonei is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. It was first described in 1933.

<i>Nembrotha yonowae</i> Species of gastropod

Nembrotha yonowae is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. It was first described in 1992.

<i>Nembrotha mullineri</i> Species of gastropod

Nembrotha mullineri is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. It was first described in 1997.

Thecacera darwini is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae.

Crimora edwardsi is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae.

References

  1. ↑ O'Donoghue, C. H. (1924) "Report on Opisthobranchiata from the Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia, with description of a new parasitic copepod. Journal of the Linnean Society , London 35: 521-579, Pls. 27-30.
  2. 1 2 Pruvot-Fol A. (1931) "Note 10. Nudibranches Australiens figures par Saville Kent". Bull. Mus. Nat. hist. nat. Paris2(3): 754-755.
  3. 1 2 Pola M., Cervera J. L. & Gosliner T. M. (2008) "Revision of the Indo-Pacific genus Nembrotha (Nudibranchia: Dorididae: Polyceridae), with description of two new species". Scientia Marina72(1): 145-183. doi : 10.3989/scimar.2008.72n1145
  4. 1 2 (2 July 1999) Nembrotha rutilans. Sea Slug Forum, accessed 10 December 2009.
  5. ↑ William Saville-Kent W. (1893) The Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Plate 13, fig. 9 (Ancula sp.).
  6. 1 2 3 Nembrotha purpureolineata O'Donoghue, 1924. Sea Slug Forum, accessed 10 December 2009.

Further reading

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