Pteraeolidia ianthina
| Pteraeolidia ianthina | |
|---|---|
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| Pteraeolidia ianthina | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Nudipleura clade Nudibranchia |
| Superfamily: | Aeolidioidea |
| Family: | Glaucidae |
| Subfamily: | Pteraeolidiinae |
| Genus: | Pteraeolidia |
| Species: | P. ianthina |
| Binomial name | |
| Pteraeolidia ianthina (Angas, 1864)[1] |
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| Synonyms | |
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Flabellina ianthina Angas, 1864[1] |
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Pteraeolidia ianthina is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Glaucidae.[2]
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[edit] Distribution
This slug is found throughout Southwestern Pacific Ocean, from Hawaii to the Philippines, to the Northeast Australian waters.
[edit] Description
Pteraeolidia ianthina is mainly called a "blue dragon" by Eastern Australian divers because of its close resemblance to a Chinese dragon.[3] The body color of this species is translucent tan but the cerata, which varies from dark purple to lavender to golden brown, gives the nudibranch most of its distinct color.
The slug is very elongated with medium-large sized cerata along the length of the body. The cephalic tentacles have at least two dark purple bands that stand out. Young specimens, however, are much shorter, have fewer cerata, and are often mistaken for other nudibranchs.[4]
[edit] Solar powered
This sea slug has evolved the ability to harness the sun's energy for its own use. This is possible because the slug feeds on hydroids which contain symbiotic zooxanthellae, microscopic dinoflagellates that are photosynthetic — in other words that have the capability to make sugars from sunshine. The nudibranch farms these zooxanthellae within its own digestive diverticula. The zooxanthellae then convert the sun's energy into sugars. The sugars are used by the slug.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b (French) Angas G. F. (1864). "Description d'espèces nouvelles appartenant à plusieurs genres de Mollusques Nudibranches des environs de Port-Jackson (Nouvelle-Galles du Sud), accompagnée de dessins faits d'après nature". Journal de Conchyliologie, series 3, 12: 43-70, pls. 4-6. Description is the page 66-67. Plate 6, figure 6.
- ^ Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.); Frýda J., Hausdorf B., Ponder W., Valdes A. & Warén A. 2005. Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia: International Journal of Malacology, 47(1-2). ConchBooks: Hackenheim, Germany. ISBN 3-925919-72-4. ISSN 0076-2997. 397 pp. http://www.vliz.be/Vmdcdata/imis2/ref.php?refid=78278
- ^ http://www.philippine-seaslugs.com/AEOLIDINA/Pteraeolidia_ianthina.htm Pteraeolidia ianthina
- ^ http://seaslugsofhawaii.com/species/Pteraeolidia-ianthina-a.htm Pteraeolidia ianthiana by Cory Pittman and Pauline Fiene
- ^ http://www.seaslugforum.net/factsheet.cfm?base=pteriant
[edit] Further reading
- Rudman, W. B. (1982). "The taxonomy and biology of further aeolidacean and arminacean nudibranch molluscs with symbiotic zooxanthellae. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 74(2):147-196.
- Yonow, N., R. Anderson C. & ButtressS. G. (2002). "Opisthobranch molluscs from the Chagos archipelago, central Indian Ocean". Journal of Natural History 36(7): 831-882.
[edit] External links
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