Fireworks nudibranch

fireworks nudibranch
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia

clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Dexiarchia
clade Cladobranchia
clade Aeolidida

Superfamily: Aeolidioidea
Family: Eubranchidae
Genus: Eubranchus
Binomial name
Eubranchus sp. 4

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.

Distribution

This species has to date only been found off South Africa, near Vulcan Rock, south of Hout Bay, off Cape Town in at least 18m of water. It appears to be endemic.

Description

This is a rather small nudibranch, reaching 15 mm in total length. It is slender and white-bodied, and it is covered with white to red yellow-tipped cerata. The oral tentacles and rhinophores are white, smooth and short.[1]

Ecology

The egg ribbon of this species is a simple upright white coil.

References

  1. Zsilavecz, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN 0-620-38054-3
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