Luisella babai

Luisella babai is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Samlidae.[2]

Flabellina babai
Flabellina babai
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Dexiarchia
clade Cladobranchia
clade Aeolidida
Superfamily:
Flabellinoidea
Family:
Samlidae
Genus:
Luisella
Species:
L. babai
Binomial name
Luisella babai
Schmekel, 1972[1]

Etymology

The specific epithet babai honors the Japanese malacologist Kikutaro Baba.[3]

Distribution

This species was described from the Mediterranean Sea where it is a fairly common species. It is also present in the Adriatic Sea and it has also been reported from the Atlantic coasts of Spain, Portugal and Senegal.[4] It inhabits rocky bottoms at depths of 5 to 50 m.[3]

Description

Luisella babai can reach a length of about 30–53 millimetres (1.2–2.1 in).[3] Body is usually white to light blue, elongated and translucent with a white edge and a long sharp pointed tail.[3] Cerata are arranged in groups of 3-9. They show the same body color with yellow-orange rings on the terminal parts. The two long tentacles in their anterior part have the same color of the body. Also the two rhinophores in their upper part shows the same color of the body, with a yellow terminal part. Digestive system and liver are visible in transparency.[3][5]

This species is rather similar to Samla bicolor (Kelaart, 1858), but S. bicolor can be found only in the Indo-Pacific.[3]

Biology

Hermaphrodite, like all nudibranchs, it deposits on the branches of the hydrozoans a white gelatinous spiral cord composed of thousands of eggs from which five to eight days later veliger larvae hatch. These nudibranchs feed on hydroids , manly Campanularia, Bougainvillia and Eudendrium species.[3]

Bibliography
  • Gary R. McDonald, University of California Santa Cruz Nudibranch Systematic Index University of California Santa Cruz (PDF), in Institute of Marine Sciences (2006).
  • Egidio Trainito, Nudibranchi del Mediterraneo. Guida al riconoscimento dei molluschi opistobranchi, 2005ª ed., Milano, Il Castello, 2005, ISBN 88-8039-438-X.

References
  1. Schmekel L. (1972). Flabellina babai n. sp., ein neuer Aeolidier (Gastr. Nudibr.) aus dem Mittelmeer. Pubblicazioni della Stazione Zoologica di Napoli 38: 316-327
  2. Gofas, S. (2015). Flabellina babai Schmekel, 1972. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-25
  3. DORIS - Données d'Observations pour la Reconnaissance et l'Identification de la faune et la flore Subaquatiques (in French)
  4. Rudman, W.B., 2002 (June 10) Flabellina babai Schmekel, 1972. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
  5. T.M. Gosliner, R.C. Willian Review of the Flabellinidae from the Tropical Indo-Pacific The Veliger Vol. 34 - California Malacozoological Society - Northern California Malacozoological Club


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