Glaucus marginatus

Glaucus marginatus
Glaucus marginatus
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:	Glaucidae
Genus:	Glaucus
Species:	G. marginatus
Binomial name
Glaucus marginatus (Bergh, 1860)
Synonyms
Glaucilla briarea Bergh, 1860 Glaucilla marginata Bergh, 1860 (original combination)

Glaucus marginatus is a species of small, floating, blue sea slug; a pelagic aeolid nudibranch; a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Glaucidae.^[1][2] This species is closely related to Glaucus atlanticus.

Distribution

This species is pelagic, and can be found in the Pacific Ocean.

Habitat

These small nudibranchs float upside down on the surface tension in temperate and tropical seas. They eat colonial cnidarians such as the Portuguese Man of War.^[2]

Description

This nudibranch is dark blue, and in many ways it resembles a smaller version of Glaucus atlanticus. However, in this species the cerata (saw teeth on the skin) are arranged in a single row in each arch.

References

1. WoRMS. "Glaucus". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
2. Valdés A. & Campillo O.A. (2004) Systematics of pelagic aeolid nudibranchs of the family Glaucidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Bulletin of Marine Science 75(3): 381–389.

• Bergh, L.S.R. (1860). Om Forekomsten af Neldefiim hos Mollusker. Vidensk. Meddel. Naturh. Foren. Kjöbenhavn, p. 309-331, pl. 8.
• Burn R. (2006) A checklist and bibliography of the Opisthobranchia (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Victoria and the Bass Strait area, south-eastern Australia. Museum Victoria Science Reports 10:1–42.
• Australian Museum Online sections - sea slug forums

External links