The Lotos-Nudibranch, scientifically known as Coryphellina lotos, is a captivating species of sea slug belonging to the family Flabellinidae. Its vibrant colors and delicate form make it a popular subject among marine enthusiasts and researchers alike.
Description & Characteristics
The Lotos-Nudibranch is a small, slender nudibranch, typically reaching a maximum size of around 20 mm in length. It displays a striking combination of colors, often featuring a white or translucent body with bright orange or red cerata (finger-like projections on the back) and a contrasting white band running down the back. These cerata serve as respiratory organs, absorbing oxygen directly from the surrounding water.
Habitat and Occurrence
The Lotos-Nudibranch favors rocky, hard seabeds in seawater environments. They are particularly common in subtidal, sublittoral, and infralittoral zones, spanning the lower limits of the intertidal zone down to the shelf edge at approximately 200 m depth. This makes Coryphellina lotos a prevalent presence in the neritic marine zone, an area stretching from the coastline to the edge of the continental shelf.
Taxonomy
The Lotos-Nudibranch, Coryphellina lotos, is classified within the phylum Mollusca, belonging to the Class Gastropoda, Order Nudibranchia, and Family Flabellinidae. This classification places it among the diverse group of sea slugs known for their lack of external shells and their striking colors and patterns.
Feeding
The Lotos-Nudibranch, Coryphellina lotos, is a carnivorous specialist, feeding exclusively on hydrozoa polyps. These are small, colonial animals that form delicate, branching structures in marine habitats. The nudibranch utilizes its radula, a ribbon-like structure with rows of teeth, to scrape and ingest the polyps, deriving nourishment from their tissues.
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