Polycera norvegica

Polycera norvegica
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Heterobranchia
Order:	Nudibranchia
Suborder:	Doridina
Superfamily:	Polyceroidea
Family:	Polyceridae
Genus:	Polycera
Species:	P. norvegica
Binomial name
	Polycera norvegica; Sørensen, Rauch, Pola & Malaquias, 2020

Polycera norvegica, is a sea slug, a species of dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae.

Distribution

This nudibranch is described from Norway and DNA-determined from Scotland where it is sympatric with Polycera quadrilineata with which it has previously been confused.

Description

Polycera norvegica is a smooth-bodied nudibranch with two colour morphs. The ground colour is translucent white with yellow or orange tubercles which may unite into lines along the mantle margin and midline of the body. The spotted colour morph has smaller yellow spots and additional black speckles which may partially fuse into brown patches in some individuals. The head has four or occasionally six projections with yellow surface pigmentation which may be reduced to spots of yellow in the speckled morph. The gills and rhinophores are translucent white, tipped with yellow.^[1]

Ecology

References

1 2 Sørensen C.G., Rauch C., Pola M. & Malaquias M.A.E. (2020). Integrative taxonomy reveals a cryptic species of the nudibranch genus Polycera (Polyceridae) in European waters. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. DOI: 10.1017/s0025315420000612, pp. 1-20.

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[orig-1] 1 2 Sørensen C.G., Rauch C., Pola M. & Malaquias M.A.E. (2020). Integrative taxonomy reveals a cryptic species of the nudibranch genus Polycera (Polyceridae) in European waters. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. DOI: 10.1017/s0025315420000612, pp. 1-20.

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