Variable dorid
| Variable dorid Aphelodoris brunnea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A live individual of Aphelodoris brunnea in situ, head end towards the upper left | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Nudipleura clade Nudibranchia |
| Superfamily: | Doridoidea |
| Family: | Dorididae |
| Genus: | Aphelodoris |
| Species: | A. brunnea |
| Binomial name | |
| Aphelodoris brunnea Bergh, 1907 | |
The variable dorid scientific name Aphelodoris brunnea, is a species of dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Dorididae.
Distribution
This species is endemic to South Africa, where it is known from Buffels Bay near Cape Point to East London. It is common off Port Elizabeth and is found from the low intertidal to 15 m.[1]
Description
A close-up of the rhinophores of the variable dorid
The variable dorid is a drably coloured nudibranch with a pale body and variable brown patterning. It has eight gills arranged around the anus and its rhinophores are perfoliate. It may reach a total length of 45 mm.[2]
Ecology
The variable dorid probably feeds on sponges. When disturbed, the animal tries to escape by swimming, flexing its body up and down.
References
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, March 21, 2013. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.