Placida dendritica is a species of minute sea slug, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Limapontiidae.[1]
| Placida dendritica | |
|---|---|
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| A live individual in situ, head end towards the left | |
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| illustration in A monograph of the British nudibranchiate Mollusca | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Heterobranchia |
| Family: | Limapontiidae |
| Genus: | Placida |
| Species: | P. dendritica
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| Binomial name | |
| Placida dendritica (Alder, J. & A. Hancock, 1843)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Despite a superficial resemblance, this is not a nudibranch, it is a sacoglossan (i.e. it is in the order Sacoglossa).
Like most sacoglossans, Placida dendritica feeds on coenocytic green algae. It is able to retain the chloroplasts for a short period.[2]
Distribution edit
This species has been reported worldwide, but it is most likely a species complex.[3]
References edit
- ^ a b WoRMS : Placida dendritica accessed : 13 October 2010]
- ^ * Goodnight, S. (2012). Field and Laboratory Observations of Two Gulf of Maine Sacoglossans. University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH.
- ^ "The Sea Slug Forum - Placida dendritica". 9 June 2010.
- Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
- de Kluijver, M.J.; Ingalsuo, S.S.; de Bruyne, R.H. (2000). Macrobenthos of the North Sea [CD-ROM]: 1. Keys to Mollusca and Brachiopoda. World Biodiversity Database CD-ROM Series. Expert Center for Taxonomic Identification (ETI): Amsterdam, the Netherlands. ISBN 3-540-14706-3
- Bleakney, J.S. 1996. Sea slugs of Atlantic Canada and the Gulf of Maine. The Nova Scotia Museum Field Guide Series. Nimbus Publishing. Halifax. 216 p.
- Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213
- Willan, R. (2009). Opisthobranchia (Mollusca). In: Gordon, D. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. Volume One: Kingdom Animalia. 584 pp
External links edit
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