Hexabranchus

Hexabranchidae is a family of colourful nudibranchs (often called "sea slugs") which contains only a single genus, Hexabranchus, with six species.

Hexabranchidae
Hexabranchus lacer, 90 mm in length, photographed at night in Bali
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Family: Hexabranchidae
Bergh, 1891[1]
Genus: Hexabranchus
Ehrenberg, 1831[2]
Diversity[3]
6 species

This family is one of the many families of dorid nudibranchs in the suborder Doridina, named after Doris, who was a sea nymph in ancient Greek mythology.

The genus contains one of the largest known species of nudibranch in the world, H. giganteus, which grows up to or exceeding 50 cm in length.[3][4] Hexabranchus sanguineus is known to use chemical defenses derived from the sponge it eats and use the chemical compounds to defend itself from potential fish predators.[5]

Species

There are six species within the genus Hexabranchus:

  • Hexabranchus aureomarginatus Ostergaard, 1955
  • Hexabranchus giganteus Tibiriçá, Pola & Cervera, 2023
  • Hexabranchus lacer (Cuvier, 1804)
  • Hexabranchus morsomus Ev. Marcus & Er. Marcus, 1962
  • Hexabranchus sandwichensis Gray, 1850
  • Hexabranchus sanguineus (Ruppell & Leuckart, 1828) - synonym: Hexabranchus praetextus Ehrenberg, 1828 - type species[6]

References
  1. Bergh R. (1891). "Die cryptobranchiaten Dorididen". Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 6: 103-144.
  2. Ehrenberg C. G. (1828–1831). Symbolae physicae animalia evertebrata exclusis insectis. Series prima cum tabularum decade prima continent animalia Africana et Asiatica. Decas Prima. In ‘Symbolae physicae, seu Icones adhue ineditae corporum naturalium novorum aut minus cognitorum, quae ex itineribus per Libyam, Aegyptum, Nubiam, Dengalam, Syriam, Arabiam et Habessiniam. Pars Zoologica, 4.’ Hemprich F. G. & Ehrenberg C. G. (eds.) Pages un-numbered. (Officina Academica: Berlin.) Dates of publication: pls 1–2 [1828], text [1831].
  3. Tibiriçá, Y.; Pola, M.; Pittman, C.; Gosliner, T. M.; Malaquias, M. A.; Cervera, J. L. (2023). A Spanish dancer? No! A troupe of dancers: a review of the family Hexabranchidae Bergh, 1891 (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Nudibranchia). Organisms Diversity & Evolution.
  4. "The Sea Slug Forum - Hexabranchus sanguineus". 15 July 2010.
  5. Pawlik, JR; et al. (1988). "Defensive chemicals of the Spanish Dancer nudibranch, Hexabranchus sanguineus, and its egg ribbons: Macrolides derived from a sponge diet". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 119 (2): 99–109. doi:10.1016/0022-0981(88)90225-0.
  6. Valdés Á. (2002). "How many species of Hexabranchus (Opisthobranchia : Dorididae) are there?". Molluscan Research 22(3): 289-301. doi:10.1071/MR02012, PDF.
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