Okenia mediterranea

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Okenia mediterranea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked):clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Euctenidiacea
clade Doridacea
Superfamily: Onchidoridoidea
Family: Goniodorididae
Genus: Okenia
Species:O. mediterranea
Binomial name
Okenia mediterranea
(von Ihering, 1886) [1]

Okenia mediterranea is a species of sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.

In biology, a species ( ) is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology, behaviour or ecological niche. In addition, paleontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. While these definitions may seem adequate, when looked at more closely they represent problematic species concepts. For example, the boundaries between closely related species become unclear with hybridisation, in a species complex of hundreds of similar microspecies, and in a ring species. Also, among organisms that reproduce only asexually, the concept of a reproductive species breaks down, and each clone is potentially a microspecies.

Sea slug group of marine invertebrates with varying levels of resemblance to terrestrial slugs

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 actually 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.

Doridacea infraorder of molluscs

Doridacea is a taxonomic grouping of dorid nudibranchs, shell-less marine gastropod mollusks. included in the clade Euctenidiacea of the clade Nudibranchia.

Contents

Distribution

This species was described from the Mediterranean Sea. [2]

Mediterranean Sea Sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean between Europe, Africa and Asia

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa and on the east by the Levant. Although the sea is sometimes considered a part of the Atlantic Ocean, it is usually identified as a separate body of water. Geological evidence indicates that around 5.9 million years ago, the Mediterranean was cut off from the Atlantic and was partly or completely desiccated over a period of some 600,000 years, the Messinian salinity crisis, before being refilled by the Zanclean flood about 5.3 million years ago.

Description

This Okenia has a broad body and nine pairs of lateral papillae. There is a ridge of short, partly fused papillae down the midline in front of the gills and a row of three short papillae or tubercles on either side of this ridge. The body is translucent white and the papillae and gills are yellow, spotted with orange. There are additional orange spots on the back in most individuals. [2]

Ecology

The diet of this species is the ctenostome bryozoan Alcyonidium cf. mytili . [3]

Ctenostomata order of bryozoans

The Ctenostomata are an order of bryozoans in the class Gymnolaemata. The great majority of ctenostome species are marine, although Paludicella inhabits freshwater. They are distinguished from their close relatives, the cheilostomes, by their lack of a calcified exoskeleton. Instead, the exoskeleton is chitinous, gelatinous, or composed only of a soft membrane, and always lacks an operculum. Colonies of ctenostomes are often composed of elongated, branch-like stolons, although more compact forms also exist.

Related Research Articles

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<i>Okenia liklik</i> species of mollusc

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Okenia purpureolineata is a species of sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.

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Okenia kondoi is a species of sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae. It is the type species of the genus Sakishimaia.

Okenia nakamotoensis is a species of sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.

Okenia pellucida is a species of sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.

Okenia purpurata is a species of sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.

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References

  1. ↑ von Ihering, H. (1886), Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Nudibranchien des Mittelmeeres, 2. 4, Die Polyceraden. Malakozool. Blatt. NF. 8: 12-48
  2. 1 2 Rudman, W.B., 2001 (February 25) Okenia mediterranea (von Ihering, 1886). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  3. ↑ Cervera, J.L., Lopez-Gonzalez, P.J. & Garcia-Gomez, J.C . (1991) Taxonomic and geographical range data on two rare species of Okenia (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia: Doridacea) from the eastern Atlantic. The Veliger, 34: 56-66.
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