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Nembrotha cristata

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Nembrotha cristata
Side view
Top view in Bunaken National Park
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Nudibranchia
Superfamily: Polyceroidea
Family: Polyceridae
Genus: Nembrotha
Species:
N. cristata
Binomial name
Nembrotha cristata
Bergh, 1877[1]

Nembrotha cristata is a species of colourful sea slug, a polycerid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae.[2] This species of sea slug is black with green markings; adults are around 50 mm long, and they live on rock or coral reefs in the tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean.

Description

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Nembrotha cristata is a large black nembrothine ("nembrothid" in much of the literature) growing to at least 50 mm long. Its body is covered with raised green nodules. The rhinophores and gills are black-edged in green. Other than the difference in colour, this species is similar in appearance to Nembrotha yonowae.[3]

Distribution

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This nudibranch species was described from the Philippines. It occurs in the tropical Indo-West Pacific Ocean.[4] It lives at depths between three and twenty metres. These sea slugs live on coral or rock reefs and have a lifespan of up to a year.[4]

Behaviour

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The bright colours of this nudibranch species are an aposematic warning to predators. These sea slugs eat compound tunicates. Like all opisthobranchs, they are hermaphrodites.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Bergh, L.S.R. (1877). Malacologische Untersuchungen, 2. In C. Semper, Reisen im Archipel der Philippinen 2 (11): 429–494, pls. 54-57.
  2. ^ Bouchet, P. (2015). Nembrotha cristata Bergh, 1877. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-09-06
  3. ^ Pola, M.; Cervera, J. L.; Gosliner, T. M. (2008). "Revision of the Indo-Pacific genus Nembrotha (Nudibranchia: Dorididae: Polyceridae), with a description of two new species". Scientia Marina. 72 (1): 145–183. doi:10.3989/scimar.2008.72n1145.
  4. ^ a b c Rudman, W.B., 1999 (January 21) Nembrotha cristata Bergh, 1877. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
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