Paraflabellina ischitana

Paraflabellina ischitana is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Flabellinidae.[2]

Paraflabellina ischitana
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:
Flabellinidae
Genus:
Paraflabellina
Species:
P. ischitana
Binomial name
Paraflabellina ischitana
Hirano & Thompson, 1990[1]

Etymology

The name ischitana means from Ischia, the island from where this nudibranch was first named.[3]

Distribution
Flabellina ischitana from Elba

This species is found in Mediterranean waters around Spain in such locations as Costa Brava,[4] and in the Tyrrhenian Sea, especially around Ischia (hence the species Latin name).[3][5][6]

Habitat

Paraflabellina ischitana usually can be found in shallow water, but it can also reach depths of 35 m.[3]

Description

This species can grow to a length of approximately 4 cm and is mostly purple-violet in colour. It has opaque white-tipped certa, rhinophores, and oral tentacles. The rhinophores are annulate.[7] Due to the somewhat transparent skin of the ceras, the branches of the digestive gland are visible, and appear as red-orange.[3][5][6][8][9][10]

Similar species

Paraflabellina ischitana is often confused with Flabellina affinis, but can be distinguished as follows:[3][6]

  • Paraflabellina ischitana: the ceratal surface has no purple-violet colouration and is translucent;
  • Flabellina affinis: the digestive gland is not visible as the area beneath the subapical white ring is opaque;

Paraflabellina ischitana is also similar to Edmundsella pedata, but they can be distinguished on the basis of their rhinophores:[7]

  • Paraflabellina ischitana has annulate rhinophore
  • Edmundsella pedata has smooth or papillate rhinophores

Biology

This nudibranch likely eats hydroids of the genus Eudendrium (Eudendrium racemosum and Eudendrium glomeratum) as its main food source.[3][5][8]

Like other nudibranchs, this species is hermaphrodite. Mating occurs in late spring.[6] The egg case is whitish or reddish,[8] with thousands of eggs of about 70 microns. The nudibranch places the egg case on the branches of hydrozoa.[6]

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

References
  1. Y.J. Hirano & T.E. Thompson, 1990. Flabellinid nudibranchs from the Bay of Naples, with a description of a new species, Flabellina ischitana. Journal of Molluscan Studies, vol. 56, p. 345-354
  2. MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Paraflabellina ischitana (Hirano & T. E. Thompson, 1990). Accessed on 2020-08-27.
  3. Manuel Ballesteros, Enric Madrenas, Miquel Pontes et al.,«Flabellina ischitana (Hirano & Thompson, 1990)»
  4. "Mer et littoral - photographie de Flabellina ischitana - # - Biologie des Mollusques". Mer-littoral.org. 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
  5. Christian COUDRE. "Flabelline d'Ischia, Flabellina ischitana". Cotebleue.org. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
  6. Sylvain Le Bris, Michel Péan « Flabellina ischitana Hirano & Thompson, 1990 »
  7. Nembro
  8. "Flabellina ischitana | Animalandia". Herramientas.educa.madrid.org. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
  9. Rudman, W.B. "Flabellina ischitana". The Sea Slug Forum. Archived from the original on 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
  10. "Photo of Flabellina ischitana - # - Mollusc biology". European Marine Life. Retrieved 2012-07-05.


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