Aeolidia papillosa

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Aeolidia papillosa
Aeolidia papillosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Subclass: Orthogastropoda Superorder: Heterobranchia Order: Opisthobranchia Suborder: Nudibranchia Superfamily: Aeolidioidea Family: Aeolidiidae Genus: Aeolidia Species: A. papillosa
Binomial name
Aeolidia papillosa (Linnaeus, 1761)

Aeolidia papillosa is a species of aeolid nudibranch, a sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aeolidiidae.

[edit] Distribution

This nudibranch species lives on the Atlantic coast of The British Isles and Northern Europe, the Atlantic coast of North America, and the Pacific Coast of North America. It also appears to occur on the west and east coast of South America.

[edit] Description

This species grows to a length of 120 mm (5 inches).

[edit] Life habits

This nudibranch eats sea anemones.

Aeolidia papillosa in a tide pool in Central California, starting to eat a sea anemone (in the lower center of the image). The nudibranch is behind the anemone, and they are both surrounded by purple sea urchins Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.

[edit] References

[edit] Books

Behrens, D. W., 1980, Pacific Coast Nudibranchs: a guide to the opisthobranchs of the northeastern Pacific, Sea Challenger Books, Washington

[edit] External links

Sea Slug Forum species fact sheet: [1]