Felimida krohni
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Doridoidea
Family: Chromodorididae
Genus: Felimida
Species:
F. krohni
Binomial name
Felimida krohni
(Vérany, 1846)
Synonyms[1]
  • Chromodoris krohni (Vérany, 1846)
  • Chromodoris trilineata Ihering, 1880
  • Doris krohni Vérany, 1846 (basionym)

Felimida krohni is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.[1][2] This species occurs in European waters (from France to the Canary Islands) and in the Mediterranean Sea (Greece). The specific name krohni was in honour of Russian zoologist August David Krohn.

Description

This nudibranch can reach a maximum length of 30 mm (1.2 in) but a more normal adult size is 15 mm (0.6 in). The colouring is quite variable; the basic colour is pink, mauve or purple with an iridescent border of pale blue or mauve and an outer border of yellow. The dorsal surface bears three longitudinal, white or yellow lines, sometimes continuous and sometimes interrupted and usually slightly raised. These unite at the posterior end near where the purple branchial plumes project from the surface forming a ring around the anus. There is often a pattern of yellow spots between the lines. At the anterior end, the rhinophores are deep purple and lamellar, with 12 to 20 gills. Both rhinophores and branchial plumes can be retracted if the animal is disturbed.[3]

Distribution

Felimida krohni is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In the Atlantic Ocean its range extends from the British Isles as far south as Cape Verde. It feeds on sponges and is to be found in habitats where suitable sponges grow, at depths ranging from 5 to 30 m (16 to 98 ft).[3]

Ecology

Felimida krohni feeds on sponges in the genus Ircinia, or sometimes on the crumb-of-bread sponge (Hymeniacidon sanguinea), grinding off fragments with its radula; the bright colours and conspicuous appearance of these nudibranchs comes from the pigments and toxins they sequester from the sponge tissues, and indicate to potential predators that they are distasteful, an example of aposematism.[4][5] Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites, having a set of both male and female reproductive organs. A pair will line up with their right sides adjacent, and each pass a spermatophore (bundle of sperm) to the other. The eggs are laid in a gelatinous spiral on the substrate, some time between April and September. The larvae are planktonic.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Bouchet, P. (2012). Felimida krohni. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=597400 on 2012-05-08
  2. ↑ Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.); Frýda J., Hausdorf B., Ponder W., Valdes A. & Warén A. 2005. Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families. Malacologia: International Journal of Malacology, 47(1-2). ConchBooks: Hackenheim, Germany. ISBN 3-925919-72-4. ISSN 0076-2997. 397 pp. http://www.vliz.be/Vmdcdata/imis2/ref.php?refid=78278
  3. 1 2 3 Meudic, Joël; Sittler, Alain-Pierre; Muller, Yves; Ader, Denis (14 July 2018). "Felimida krohni (Vérany, 1846)" (in French). DORIS. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  4. ↑ Edmunds, M. (1991). "Does warning colouration occur in nudibranchs?". Malacologia. 32: 241–255.
  5. ↑ Quicke, Donald L. J. (2017). Mimicry, Crypsis, Masquerade and other Adaptive Resemblances. John Wiley & Sons. p. 149. ISBN 978-1-118-93153-0.

Further reading

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