Chocolate-chip nudibranch

Chocolate-chip nudibranch
Chocolate-chip nudibranch
Aphelodoris sp.1
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Dorididae
Genus: Aphelodoris
Binomial name
Aphelodoris sp. 1

The chocolate-chip nudibranch, Aphelodoris sp. 1, is an undescribed species of dorid nudibranch as designated by Gosliner, 1987. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Dorididae. As of November 2009, it was undescribed by academics.

Contents

Distribution

This species has so far been found around the southern African coast on both sides of the Cape Peninsula and off Port Elizabeth in 10-35 m of water.[1]

Description

The chocolate-chip nudibranch is a white-bodied smooth-skinned dorid with a few dark blotches of varying sizes on its notum. It has eight gills arranged around the anus and its rhinophores are perfoliate. It may reach a total length of 50 mm.[2]

Ecology

The chocolate-chip nudibranch feeds on sponges. This species seems to still be undescribed: it is not yet formally known in the scientific literature.

References

  1. ^ GOSLINER, T.M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN 0-930118-13-8
  2. ^ ZSILAVECZ, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN 0-620-38054-3

External links

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