Janolus fuscus

Janolus fuscus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Heterobranchia; clade Euthyneura; clade Nudipleura; clade Nudibranchia; clade Dexiarchia; clade Cladobranchia
Family:	Proctonotidae
Genus:	Janolus
Species:	J. fuscus
Binomial name
	Janolus fuscus;

Janolus fuscus is a species of sea slug, or more accurately a nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Proctonotidae.

Distribution

The species Janolus fuscus is found from the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska to central California and also in northern Japan.^[1]

Habitat

This species of nudibranch is found in shallow and subtidal waters.

Description

The bodies of nudibranchs in this species are semi-translucent. The body is covered in short cerata. In Janolus fuscus the cerata are orange and white tipped.

Life habits

Janolus species feed on Bryozoa.

Predators

In California, Navanax is a known predator of Janolus. Navanax tracks the slime of Janolus by using chemoreceptors. When Janolus is about to be caught, it rolls into a ball, leaving its cerata exposed. If there is a water current, as if often the case, the sea slug may then be passively rolled away from the predator.

References

^ "Janolus fuscus". Sea Slug Forum. Archived from the original on 13 July 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2006.

External links

Sea Slug Forum info at: [1]
SlugSite info: [2]

[1] "Janolus fuscus". Sea Slug Forum. Archived from the original on 13 July 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2006.

[1]