Phylliroe bucephala: Difference between revisions
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| Phylliroe bucephala | |
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| Species: | P. bucephalum
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| Binomial name | |
| Phylliroe bucephalum Peron and Lesueur, 1810
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Phylliroe bucephala Peron and Lesueur, 1810 | |
Phylliroe bucephalum is a species of pelagic parasitic nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Phylliroidae.
Distribution
World-wide in warm and temperate seas, but seldom seen.
Habitat
The larval stage of this species of nudibranch penetrates the bell of pelagic jellyfish, including the cnidarian Zanclea, and devour the host from the inside outward. As adults they are free-living, feeding on Zanclea as well as other medusae and plankton, including Oikopleura.
Description
This species is so thin that it is almost transparent. Coloration is a pale lilac tinge, minutely speckled with purplish-brown, with pinkish throat and jaws. It is one of the few nudibranchs to exhibit bioluminescence.
Length is up to 33 mm, and width is up to 1 or 2 mm.
References
- Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
- SeaSlugForum