Fiona pinnata

Taxobox
name = "Fiona pinnata"


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
superordo = Heterobranchia
ordo = Opisthobranchia
subordo = Nudibranchia
superfamilia = Aeolidioidea
familia = Fionidae
familia_authority = Gray, 1857
genus = "Fiona"
genus_authority = Alder & Hancock, 1851
species = "F. pinnata"
binomial = "Fiona pinnata"
binomial_authority = (Eschscholtz, 1831)
synonyms = "Limax marinus" Förskal, 1775
"Eolidia pinnata" Eschscholtz, 1831
"Eolidia longicauda" Quoy and Gaimard, 1832
"Oithona nobilis" Alder and Hancock, 1851
"Aeolis plicata" Hutton, 1882
"Fiona marina" Suter, 1913
"Fiona pinnata" Iredale and O'Donoghue, 1923

"Fiona pinnata" is a species of small sea slug, specifically a nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk.

The anatomy of this species is very unusual, and it does not appear to have any living close relatives. It is the only member of the genus "Fiona" (a monotypic genus), and the genus "Fiona" is in turn the only genus in the family Fionidae (a monotypic family).

Distribution

This is a wide ranging pelagic species, found world-wide, but only on floating objects.

Habitat

It is found living on the surfaces of drifting kelp, wood and other floating materials. (Unlike most pelagic animals it cannot swim or float by itself.)

Description

The body is elongate-ovate, arched above. The rhinophores are simple, not retractile, and the cerata are arranged in close transverse rows on the back. The radula consists of a single row of teeth, each with a strongly arched base, and bearing one large long cusp, flanked by six or seven lesser cusps on either side.

The coloration of the head, neck and body is white, with the cerata dark brown, each margined with white.

The length of this nudibranch is up to about 20 mm.

Life habits

It usually grazes on the surface of goose barnacles.

References

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