Okenia angelica

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Okenia angelica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Onchidoridoidea
Family: Goniodorididae
Genus: Okenia
Species:
O. angelica
Binomial name
Okenia angelica
Gosliner & Bertsch, 2004[1]

Okenia angelica is a species of sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.[2]

Distribution[edit]

This species was described from Bahía de los Ángeles, Baja California with additional specimens from Isla Cedros on the Pacific Ocean coast of Baja California[1] and Bahía de Banderas, Jalisco, Mexico.

Description[edit]

This Okenia has a broad body and seven to nine pairs of curved lateral papillae. The body is brown grading to purple with an opaque white patch covering most of the back. In front of the gills there are raised purple spots surrounded by orange-brown pigment within an area of pale brown.[3] The papillae and rhinophores may be tipped with light orange pigment.

Ecology[edit]

The diet of this species is probably an encrusting bryozoan.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Gosliner, T. M. & Bertsch, H. (2004) Systematics of Okenia from the Pacific Coast of North America (Nudibranchia: Goniodorididae) with descriptions of three new species. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 55: 412-428, figs. 1-11.
  2. ^ Bouchet, P. (2015). Okenia angelica Gosliner & Bertsch, 2004. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-20
  3. ^ Brenna Green, 2009. Okenia angelica. Photo on Flickr
  4. ^ Bertsch, H., 2005. Okenia angelica. Slug site nudibranch of the week, 448