Tergipes tergipes

Tergipes tergipes
The nudibranch Tergipes tergipes, Gulen Dive Centre, Norway.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia

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

Superfamily: Fionoidea
Family: Tergipedidae
Genus: Tergipes
Species: T. tergipes
Binomial name
Tergipes tergipes
(Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775)[1]
Synonyms
  • Limax tergipes Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775

Tergipes tergipes is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tergipedidae.[2]

Distribution

This species was described from Øresund, Denmark. It has been reported from the NE Atlantic from Iceland and Norway south to Portugal and in the Mediterranean Sea.[3] Reports of the same species from Brazil should be treated with caution.[4]

Description

The typical adult size of this species is 5-8 mm.[5]

Habitat

Tergipes tergipes feeds on hydroids of the genus Obelia, especially Obelia geniculata. It is very similar in size and spawn shape to Eubranchus exiguus which often occurs on the same blades of kelp.[3]

References

  1. Niebuhr C. (ed.) (1775). Descriptiones animalium avium, amphibiorum, piscium, insectorum, vermium quae in itinere orientali observavit Petrus Forskål, prof. Haun., post mortem auctoris edidit Carsten Niebuhr. Hauniae [Copenhagen], Möller, pp. 1-19 + i-xxxiv + 1-164, 1 map. page(s): 99-100
  2. Gofas, S. (2014). Tergipes tergipes (Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-01-31
  3. 1 2 Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C., 2010. Tergipes tergipes (Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775). [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland.
  4. Rudman, W.B., 2000 (December 31). Tergipes tergipes (Forsskal, 1775). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  5. Thompson, T.E. and Brown, G.H., 1984. Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs, Volume II. The Ray Society. 229 pages 41 plates, 40 figures
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