Diversidoris flava
Diversidoris flava is a yellow species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chromodorididae.[2]
Diversidoris flava | |
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A pair of Diversidoris flava, Philippines | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
Order: | Nudibranchia |
Suborder: | Doridina |
Superfamily: | Doridoidea |
Family: | Chromodorididae |
Genus: | Diversidoris |
Species: | D. flava |
Binomial name | |
Diversidoris flava (Eliot, 1904)[1] | |
Synonyms | |
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Distribution
This nudibranch was originally described from East Africa, but it has an Indo-West Pacific distribution including Australia (Queensland) and Hawaii.[3]
Description
This species is usually less than 50 mm (2.0 in) in length. It has a yellow body with an identifying red mantle margin which has two semi-permanent mantle folds about mid-body. The rhinophores and branchia (gills) are yellow. Identifying individual yellow sea slugs within the genus Diversidoris can be challenging because yellow forms exist in several related species.[4][5]
Ecology
This species is often found on the yellow sponge Hyrtios, which appears to be its preferred food source.[6]
References
- Eliot, C. N. E. (1904). On some nudibranchs from East Africa and Zanzibar, part IV. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1904:1:380.
- MolluscaBase (2018). Diversidoris crocea (Rudman, 1986). Accessed on 2019-01-31.
- Rudman, W.B., 2000 (May 21) Noumea flava (Eliot, 1904). [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
- Rudman, W.B., 2001 (March 29) Noumea flava Colour Group. [In] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney.
- Marshall, J.G. & Willan, R.C. 1999. Nudibranchs of Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef. Leiden : Backhuys 257 pp.
- Pittman, C. & Fiene, P., 2017. Diversidoris flava Sea Slugs of Hawaii, accessed 2019-01-31.
External links
- Photos of Diversidoris flava on Sealife Collection