Warty pleurobranch Pleurobranchaea bubala | |
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A close-up of Pleurobranchaea bubula, head towards the left | |
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Species: | P. bubala |
Binomial name | |
Pleurobranchaea bubala Marcus & Gosliner, 1984 | |
The warty pleurobranch, scientific name Pleurobranchaea bubala, is a species of sea slug, specifically a sidegill slug or notaspidean. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pleurobranchaeidae.
This species is endemic to the South African coast and is found only from Hout Bay to Jeffreys Bay [1] in 5–30 m of water. [2]
The warty pleurobranch has an oval sandy-coloured body with large opaque white bumps on the notum. It has a spade-shaped head and two widely separated rhinophores. There is a single gill on right hand side of body. It can be confused with the dwarf warty pleurobranch, which is smaller, has smoother skin, and can be found in deeper water. [1]
This pleurobranch is a voracious predator on other opisthobranchs. It has been seen eating smaller individuals of the same species. [1] Its egg ribbon is a sizeable roll of several white loops.
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", "dragon", or "sea rabbit". Currently, about 3,000 valid species of nudibranchs are known.
The purple lady nudibranch, Paraflabellina funeka, is a species of aeolid nudibranch, and is a very colourful sea slug. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Flabellinidae.
The white-edged nudibranch, Fjordia capensis, is a species of sea slug, specifically an aeolid nudibranch, a very colourful sea slug. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Flabellinidae.
The dwarf warty pleurobranch, Pleurobranchaea tarda, is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pleurobranchaeidae.
The sand slug, scientific name Philine aperta, is a species of predatory sea slug with an internal shell, a cephalaspid opisthobranch, or head-shield slug. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Philinidae.
The frilled nudibranch, Leminda millecra, is a species of metarminid nudibranch, and is only found in South Africa. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Charcotiidae.
The mosaic pleurobranch, scientific name Pleurobranchus albiguttatus, is a species of sea slug, a sidegill slug, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pleurobranchidae.
The lemon pleurobranch is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pleurobranchidae.
Atagema rugosa, the rugby-ball dorid, is a species of dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Discodorididae.
The three-spot nudibranch, scientific name Aldisa trimaculata, is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cadlinidae.
The fiery nudibranch, Okenia amoenula, is a species of colourful sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.
The giraffe spot nudibranch, Ancula sp., as designated by Gosliner, 1987, is a species of colourful sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae. As of November 2009, it remained undescribed by science.
The soft coral nudibranch, Tritonia sp. 1, as designated by Gosliner, 1987, is a species of small sea slug, a dendronotid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tritoniidae. As of November 2009, it was undescribed by science.
Pierre's armina, scientific name Armina sp., is a species of sea slug, a nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Arminidae. This species was undescribed by science as of November 2009.
The candelabra nudibranch, is a species of sea slug or nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Eubranchidae. It is an aeolid nudibranch, which is known to occur off the South African coast. As of August 2015, it remained undescribed by science.
The black-dot nudibranch, Caloria sp. 1, as designated by Gosliner, 1987, is a species of sea slug, specifically an aeolid nudibranch. They are marine gastropod molluscs in the family Facelinidae.
Phyllodesmium horridum, the coral nudibranch, is a species of sea slug, specifically an aeolid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.
Aplysiopsis sinusmensalis, the Table Bay nudibranch, is a species of sacoglossan sea slug, a shell-less marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Hermaeidae.
The fireworks nudibranch, Eubranchus sp. 4, as designated by Zsilavecz, 2007, is a species of sea slug or nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Eubranchidae. It is an aeolid nudibranch, which is known to occur off the South African coast. As at August 2010, it remained undescribed by science.