Orienthella fogata

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Orienthella fogata
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Infraclass: Euthyneura
Clade: Nudipleura
Order: Nudibranchia
Clade: Dexiarchia
Infraorder: Cladobranchia
Superfamily: Fionoidea
Family: Flabellinidae
Genus: Orienthella
Species:
O. fogata
Binomial name
Orienthella fogata
(Millen & Hermosillo, 2007) [1]

Orienthella fogata is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Flabellinidae. [2]

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.

Nudibranch order of molluscs

Nudibranchs are a group of soft-bodied, marine gastropod molluscs which 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", and "dragon". Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known.

Contents

Distribution

This species was described from Bahía de Banderas, Mexico, Pacific Ocean.

Bahía de Banderas human settlement in Mexico

Bahía de Banderas is a bay on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, within the Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit. It is also the name of an administrative municipality, located on the bay in Nayarit state. The port and resort city of Puerto Vallarta is on the bay.

Mexico Country in the southern portion of North America

Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost 2,000,000 square kilometres (770,000 sq mi), the nation is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the 13th largest independent state in the world. With an estimated population of over 120 million people, the country is the tenth most populous state and the most populous Spanish-speaking state in the world, while being the second most populous nation in Latin America after Brazil. Mexico is a federation comprising 31 states and Mexico City, a special federal entity that is also the capital city and its most populous city. Other metropolises in the state include Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Toluca, Tijuana and León.

Pacific Ocean Ocean between Asia and Australia in the west, the Americas in the east and Antarctica or the Southern Ocean in the south.

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south and is bounded by Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east.

Description

This flabellinid nudibranch has a translucent orange body and red digestive gland in the cerata. There are white spots on the outer parts of the cerata. [3]

Cerata anatomical structures found in nudibranch sea slugs

Ceras, plural Cerata, are anatomical structures found externally in nudibranch sea slugs, especially in aeolid nudibranchs, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the clade Aeolidida. The singular of cerata is ceras, which comes from the Greek word "κέρας", meaning "horn", a reference to the shape of these structures.

The description of Orienthella fogata includes a table comparing similar species from Mexico. [1]

SpeciesRhinophoresGround colourColour of cerataLiving size (mm)
Coryphellina marcusorum Red, papillate posteriorlyBright pinkPink, purple and yellow< 20
Samla telja Yellow or brown, perfoliateLight pink, white spotsBrownish pink< 24
Edmundsella vansyoci Pink, verrucoseRose pinkRose pink, white spots< 15
Flabellina bertschii White, smoothWhiteReddish pink, white tips< 8
Orienthella fogataTranslucent orange, annulateTranslucent orangeRed with white spots< 15
Kynaria cynara White with purple tips, perfoliatePink with purple markingsSalmon & purple, white spots< 12

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References

  1. 1 2 Millen S. & Hermosillo A. (2007) The genus Flabellina Voight, 1834 (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia) from Bahia de Banderas (Pacific coast of Mexico) with ecological observations, the description of a new species, and the redescription of Flabellina cynara. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences ser.4, 58(26): 543-559. page(s): 548
  2. ↑ Bouchet, P. (2015). Flabellina fogata Millen & Hermosillo, 2007. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-27
  3. ↑ Flabellina fogata At Medslugs.de
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