Phyllodesmium guamense is a species of sea slug, an aeolid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Facelinidae.[2]
| Phyllodesmium guamense | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia
clade Euthyneura |
| Superfamily: | |
| Family: | |
| Subfamily: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | P. guamense
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| Binomial name | |
| Phyllodesmium guamense Avila, Ballesteros, Slattery, Starmer & Paul, 1998[1]
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The specific name guamense refers to the island of Guam, its type locality.
Distribution
editThe type locality of Phyllodesmium guamense is Piti, Guam, Micronesia. Additional specimens were found in Cocos Island Lagoon nearby.[1]
Description
editPhyllodesmium guamense uses camouflage and it looks like the soft coral Sinularia. The maximum recorded length of the slug is 48 mm. This species contains zooxanthellae which are distributed throughout the inflated cerata.[1]
Ecology
editPhyllodesmium guamense feeds on Sinularia polydactyla, Sinularia maxima and Sinularia sp.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Avila C., Ballesteros M., Slattery M., Starmer J. & Paul V. J. (1998). "Phyllodesmium guamensis (Nudibranchia: Aeolidoidea), a new species from Guam (Micronesia)". Journal of Molluscan Studies 64: 147–160. abstract.
- ^ Bouchet, P. (2010). Phyllodesmium guamense Avila, Ballesteros, Slattery, Starmer & Paul, 1998. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2012-06-05