Placida dendritica

Taxobox
name = "Placida dendritica"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Heterobranchia
ordo = Sacoglossa
familia = Stiligeridae
genus = "Placida"
species = "P. dendritica"
binomial = "Placida dendritica"
binomial_authority = (Alder, J. & A. Hancock, 1843)
synonyms = "Placida aoteana" (Powell, 1937)

"Placida dendritica" is a species of minute sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Stiligeridae.

Despite a superficial resemblance, this is not a nudibranch, it is a sacoglossan (i.e. it is in the order Sacoglossa).

Distribution

This species is found worldwide.

Description

This sea slug can be up to about 3.5 mm in length.

This minute sacoglossan slug has two rows of heavy cerata, or club-like appendages, down each side of the slender body. The general coloration of this animal is speckled green, from the "Codium sp." algae diet. The ends of the cerata are sometimes whitish.

There is speculation that this species may eventually be split into regional species - for example, the synonym "Placida aoteana" may be resurrected for what is now considered to be simply the New Zealand variety of this slug.

References

* Powell A. W. B., "New Zealand Mollusca", William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1

External links

* [http://www.gastropods.com/1/Shell_30491.html]
* [http://www.seaslugforum.net/showall.cfm?base=placden1 Sea Slug Forum]