Polycera elegans is a species of colorful sea slug, a nudibranch, belonging to the family Polyceridae. They are known for their striking appearance and distinctive feeding habits.
Description & Characteristics
Polycera elegans is a small nudibranch, typically reaching a maximum size of around 20 mm in length. They exhibit a vibrant coloration, often featuring a mix of bright orange, yellow, and white markings. Their bodies are elongated and somewhat flattened, with a distinct head region bearing two prominent rhinophores (sensory organs) and a pair of oral tentacles. The mantle, or outer covering of the body, is typically smooth and may display various patterns or spots.
Habitat and Occurrence
Polycera elegans is a common inhabitant of shallow marine environments, particularly in the subtidal, sublittoral, and infralittoral zones. Their distribution encompasses areas from the lower limit of the intertidal zone down to the shelf edge, approximately 200 meters in depth. This makes them a prominent species within the neritic zone, which encompasses the waters extending from the shoreline to the edge of the continental shelf.
Taxonomy
Polycera elegans is classified within the phylum Mollusca, belonging to the Class: Gastropoda, Order: Nudibranchia, and Family: Polyceridae. Nudibranchs are a diverse group of marine gastropods, characterized by their lack of an external shell. They are often referred to as “sea slugs” due to their slug-like appearance and absence of a shell. Polyceridae is a family within the Nudibranchia, encompassing numerous species of colorful and often elaborately patterned sea slugs.
Feeding
Polycera elegans is a food specialist, primarily feeding on bryozoans, commonly known as “sea mats.” Bryozoans are colonial animals that form extensive, often intricate, structures on various surfaces in the marine environment. The nudibranch’s diet consists of these colonial organisms, which provide it with essential nutrients and energy.
Image References