| Philinopsis depicta | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Cephalaspidea |
| Family: | Aglajidae |
| Genus: | Philinopsis |
| Species: | P. depicta |
| Binomial name | |
| Philinopsis depicta (Renier, 1807) [1] | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Philinopsis depicta is a species of sea slug, an opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Aglajidae. It is native to the Mediterranean Sea where it lives on the sandy seabed in shallow water. It is a predator.
Philinopsis depicta is a large sea slug that can reach a length of 10 cm (4 in). The head is protected by a large cephalic shield which extends as far as the central body where it forms a noticeable pointed protrusion. A pair of parapodia extend from the foot and reach as high as the back. The small, flattened shell is obscured by the posterior shield which terminates with two small, sometimes raised, lobes. The colouring is somewhat variable, either pale brown with white specks, or a deeper brown or blackish shade, often flecked with small white specks which coalesce to form small patches. Nearly all individuals have a continuous double line of colour, orange and blue, which edges the cephalic shield, the parapodia, the posterior shield and the tip of the mantle. [2] Other species of sea slug with which it could be confused include Aglaja tricolorata and Melanochlamys wildpretii ; the former is tan with more-regularly arranged white spots, no cephalic shield peak and no orange and blue lines round the body; the latter has a more uniform orange-brown colour, no cephalic shield peak, and a slender white line that outlines the parapodia and crosses the mid-back. [2] [3]
Philinopsis depicta is native to the Mediterranean Sea. Reports of it occurring in the Caribbean Sea may be referring to a similar but different species. It is a shallow water sea slug, found on muddy sand. [2]
Sea slugs in the Aglajidae family are predators. The diet of Philinopsis depicta has not been precisely ascertained, but stomach contents have been shown to include Bulla striata and Haminoea species, it probably eats other sea slugs, and it has eaten Elysia timida in captivity. There are no jaws, grinding plates in the stomach, or radula, so it is thought the sea slug protrudes its foregut and sucks up its prey whole; shells or undigested fragments are ejected. [2]
This sea slug is a hermaphrodite. The gonopore is located under the right parapodium at the rear of the body. Either individual in a pair may receive sperm from the other, or sperm donation may be reciprocal. An individual which has been inseminated lays eggs embedded in a transparent thread which is usually covered with sand. When the eggs hatch after a few days, the veliger larvae are planktonic for a while, before settling on the seabed and undergoing metamorphosis into juveniles. [2]
The clade Anaspidea, commonly known as sea hares, are medium-sized to very large opisthobranch gastropod molluscs with a soft internal shell made of protein. These are marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamilies Aplysioidea and Akeroidea.
Aglajidae is a family of often colorful, medium-sized, sea slugs, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks. These are not nudibranchs; instead they are headshield slugs, in the clade Cephalaspidea.
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.
Mariaglaja inornata, also called the inornate headshield slug, is a species of sea slug or headshield slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Aglajidae.
Aplysia vaccaria, also known as the black sea hare and California black sea hare, is a species of extremely large sea slug, a marine, opisthobranch, gastropod mollusk in the family Aplysiidae. It is the largest sea slug species.
Philiopsis is a genus of often colorful, medium-sized sea slugs, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks. These are not nudibranchs; instead they are headshield slugs, in the clade Cephalaspidea.
Melanochlamys is a genus of headshield slugs in the family Aglajidae. Despite the appearance of its species, this genus must not be confused with nudibranchs.
Elysia diomedea is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Plakobranchidae.
Leptogorgia hebes, commonly known as the regal sea fan or false sea fan, is a species of soft coral in the family Gorgoniidae. It was formerly included in the genus Lophogorgia but that genus has been dismantled.
Aglaja is a genus of sea slugs, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Aglajidae.
Siphopteron quadrispinosum is a species of small sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the order Cephalaspidea, the headshield slugs. This slug is a simultaneous hermaphrodite.
Biuve fulvipunctata, the white-speckled headshield slug, is a species of sea slug or headshield slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Aglajidae. This species is widespread in the Indian and Pacific Oceans but has invaded the Mediterranean Sea since 1961, despite apparently being absent from the Red Sea until recorded there in the 21st century. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Biuve.
Syllis prolifera is a species of polychaete worm in the family Syllidae. It has a cosmopolitan distribution. It was first described in 1852 by the Russian/German zoologist August David Krohn who gave it the name Syllis prolifera.
Berthella ocellata is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pleurobranchidae. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea where it inhabits the shallow sublittoral zone.
Melanochlamys cylindrica is a species of bubble snail in the family Aglajidae. It is endemic to New Zealand.
Elysia marginata is a marine gastropod in the family Plakobranchidae. It is known for its ability to regenerate its whole body and heart after autotomizing it from its head.
Philinopsis speciosa, the blue-lined philinopsis, is a species of sea slug, a shell-less opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Aglajidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region.
Tubulophilinopsis gardineri, the Gardiner’s philinopsis, or Gardiner's headshield slug is a species of sea slug, a shell-less opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Aglajidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region.
Thuridilla vataae is a species of sacoglossan sea slug, a shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Plakobranchidae. It is native to the tropical Indo-Pacific. It was first described by the French zoologist Jean Risbec in 1928; its specific name refers to the Bay of Anse Vata, just south of Nouméa, New Caledonia, where the type specimen was collected.
Thuridilla moebii is a species of sacoglossan sea slug, a shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusc in the family Plakobranchidae. It is found in shallow water in the tropical west and central Indo-Pacific region.