Limacia clavigera

Limacia clavigera, sometimes known by the common name orange-clubbed sea slug, is a sea slug, a species of dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae.[3]

Limacia clavigera
Limacia clavigera grazing on Membranipora membranacea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Heterobranchia

clade Euthyneura
clade Nudipleura
clade Nudibranchia
clade Euctenidiacea

clade Doridacea
Superfamily:
Polyceroidea
Family:
Polyceridae
Subfamily:
Triophinae
Tribe:
Limaciini
Genus:
Limacia
Species:
L. clavigera
Binomial name
Limacia clavigera
Synonyms
  • Doris clavigera O. F. Müller, 1776 (original combination)
  • Euplocamus plumosus Thompson, 1840[2]
  • Tergipes pulcher Johnston, 1834

Distribution

Limacia clavigera is commonly found on the lower shore and in sublittoral algae belts along the Atlantic coast of Europe, including the British Isles, and from Norway to Portugal.[4] It has been found from the intertidal zone to depths of at least 20 m.[4] It is replaced by Limacia inesae in the Mediterranean Sea.[5]

It has also been reported along the South African coast from Saldanha Bay to Port Alfred.[6] This disjunct distribution was an indication of several related species being included under one name. Some of these South African animals are referable to Limacia lucida[7] and others belong to Limacia jellyi.[5]

Description

Limacia clavigera is a small (up to 20 mm), white-bodied dorid with numerous orange-tipped projections on its body and scattered, raised, orange spots on its notum. Its gills and perfoliate rhinophores are orange-tipped.[4]

Ecology

This species feeds on the encrusting bryozoan Electra pilosa as well as Membranipora membranacea and is often seen on encrusted red algae or kelp. Its egg ribbon is a flat broad spiral of several coils.[4]

References
  1. Müller Otto Frederik. 1776. Zoologiae Danicae. Prodromus seu animalium Daniae et Norvegiae ingenarum characteres, nomina, et synonyma imprimis popularium, xxxii + 282 pp.
  2. Thompson W., 1840: Contributions towards a knowledge of the Mollusca Nudibranchia and Mollusca Tunicata of Ireland, with descriptions of some apparently new species of Invertebrata Annals and Magazine of Natural History 5 (29): 84-102
  3. Rosenberg, G.; Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2015). Limacia clavigera (O. F. Müller, 1776). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=140830 on 2015-12-23
  4. Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. (2015). Limacia clavigera (O F Müller, 1776). [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland. Accessed on 2015-3-30
  5. Toms J.A., Pola M., Von der Heyden S. & Gosliner T.M. (2021). Disentangling species of the genus Limacia O.F. Müller, 1781, from southern Africa and Europe using integrative taxonomical methods, with the description of four new species. Marine Biodiversity. 51(1): 1-31.
  6. Gosliner, T.M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN 0-930118-13-8
  7. Caballer Gutiérrez, M., Almón Pazos, B., Pérez Dieste, J., (2015) The sea slug genus Limacia Müller, 1781 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia) in Europe. Cahiers de Biologie Marine 57:35-42.
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