Phestilla melanobrachia

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Phestilla melanobrachia
Phestilla melanobrachia.jpg
An orange individual of Phestilla melanobrachia, head end towards the left
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Cladobranchia
Superfamily: Fionoidea
Family: Trinchesiidae
Genus: Phestilla
Species:
P. melanobrachia
Binomial name
Phestilla melanobrachia
Bergh, 1874 [1]
Synonyms
  • Tenellia melanobrachia(Bergh, 1874)
  • Phestilla melanobranchia[spelling error]

Phestilla melanobrachia is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trinchesiidae. [2]

There are two known colour forms of Phestilla melanobrachia, black and orange. [3] Both of these feed on corals in the family Dendrophylliidae [4] and have been found to be genetically identical. [5]

Distribution

This species was described from the Philippines. [1] It has been reported from Hong Kong and Japan to Malaysia and East to Australia. [3]

Related Research Articles

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

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Phyllodesmium Genus of gastropods

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<i>Phyllodesmium longicirrum</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Phyllodesmium crypticum</i> Species of gastropod

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

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<i>Mexichromis pusilla</i> Species of gastropod

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<i>Phestilla</i> Genus of gastropods

Phestilla is a genus of sea slugs, aeolid nudibranchs, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Trinchesiidae. Its members are unusual in feeding on hard corals, unlike other members of the family Trinchesiidae which feed on hydroids. Adult Phestilla have no cnidosacs. This genus has been investigated using DNA phylogeny and undescribed species exist.

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Rostanga crawfordi is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Discodorididae. Originally described as Discodoris crawfordi, it was redescribed by Rudman & Avern as Rostanga australis. The two names were synonymised by Dayrat.

<i>Phestilla lugubris</i> Species of gastropod

Phestilla lugubris is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trinchesiidae.

Phestilla sibogae is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trinchesiidae. The species feeds on the hard coral genus Porites.

<i>Phestilla minor</i> Species of gastropod

Phestilla minor is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trinchesiidae. The species feeds on the hard coral genus Porites and has been found to represent a species complex.

Phestilla panamica is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trinchesiidae. The species feeds on the hard coral genus Porites.

Phestilla poritophages is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trinchesiidae. The species was named after its prey genus, the hard coral Porites.

References

  1. 1 2 Bergh, L. S. R. (1874). Neue Nacktschnecken der Südsee, malacologische Untersuchungen II. Journal des Museum Godeffroy 2(6):91-116, pls. 1-4.
  2. Picton, B.; Gofas, S.; Bieler, R.; Bouchet, P. (2017). Phestilla melanobrachia Bergh, 1874. In: MolluscaBase (2017). Accessed on 2017-11-08.
  3. 1 2 Rudman, W.B., 2001 (July 10) Phestilla melanobrachia Bergh, 1874. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  4. Rudman, W. B. (April 1981). "Further studies on the anatomy and ecology of opisthobranch molluscs feeding on the scleractinian coral Porites". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 71 (4): 373–412. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1981.tb01136.x.
  5. Faucci, A.; Toonen, R.; Hadfield, M. (7 January 2007). "Host shift and speciation in a coral-feeding nudibranch". Proc Biol Sci. 274 (1606): 111–119. doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3685. PMC   1679885 .